Author: The Associated Press

Lawmakers Fail to Resolve Dispute Over Muskie Stocking

Muskies are Native to 44 Minnesota Lakes

NISSWA, Minn. (AP) – Lawmakers left St. Paul without resolving a long-running dispute over the stocking of Minnesota lakes with muskies. Opponents of introducing the big predator fish to more lakes weren’t able to pass legislation this session to limit the practice. Minnesota Public Radio reports that anti-stocking legislation is expected to return next year. Muskies – properly known as…

US Mint Prepares to Release Voyageurs National Park Quarter

This Will be the 43rd Coin in the America the Beautiful Series

INTERNATIONAL FALLS, Minn. (AP) – Voyageurs National Park and the U.S. Mint will hold festivities next month to mark the release of a commemorative quarter honoring the park on Minnesota’s northern border. The Voyageurs quarter is part of a series of 56 commemoratives highlighting America’s national parks. It shows a loon with a rock cliff in the background. The Mint…

Missing man Found Dead in Lake Michigan

The Death is Under Investigation

ST. JOSEPH, Mich. (AP) – Authorities say the body of a southwestern Michigan man reported missing earlier this month has been found by a boater in Lake Michigan. The boater called 911 after spotting the body near Tiscornia Park in St. Joseph on Monday. Police in Berrien County’s Benton Township say the body was identified as that of 48-year-old Michael…

Rescuers Save two Women Adrift in Lake Superior on Blowup Raft

No Injuries Reported

DULUTH, Minn. (AP) – Authorities are warning boaters and swimmers to be aware of changing weather conditions, after authorities rescued two young Duluth women who drifted into Lake Superior on an inflatable raft. The Star Tribune reports that fire department and Coast Guard personnel were called to the scene Friday afternoon after the raft was carried into Lake Superior about…

Wisconsin Woman Charged With Swindling Minnesota Relative

The 68-Year-old was Charged in Ramsey County District Court

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – A Wisconsin woman is being charged with swindling her 97-year-old mother-in-law in Minnesota and using the money at casinos. The Pioneer Press reports that 68-year-old Deborah Ann Steele was charged in Ramsey County District Court with 10 counts relating to taking $345,000 from a vulnerable adult. Court records say Steele married the St. Paul woman’s…

Twin Metals Wants to Build ore Processor Closer to BWCA

Twin Metals Spokesman Says Change Won't Threaten Environment

(AP Photo/Steve Karnowski, File)ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Twin Metals says its updated plan for an underground copper-nickel mine near Ely includes a 100-acre ore processing facility on the banks of Birch Lake, which puts it closer to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness than earlier planned. Environmental groups blasted Thursday’s announcement, saying it increases the threat to the wilderness…

Emails Show Collaboration Among EPA, Climate-Change Deniers

(AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)WASHINGTON (AP) – Newly released emails show senior Environmental Protection Agency officials collaborating with a conservative group that dismisses climate change to rally like-minded people for public hearings on science and global warming, counter negative news coverage and tout Administrator Scott Pruitt’s stewardship of the agency. The emails were obtained by the Environmental Defense Fund and the…

Menomonie man Dies of Apparent Drowning

The Incident Remains Under Investigation

SAWYER COUNTY, Wis. – According to the Sawyer County Sheriff’s Office they received a report of a missing 88-year-old man from a cabin on Schmidt Road in the Township of Winter on Thursday evening. Deputies responded to the scene located on the Flambeau River where the missing man was found at approximately 11:59 p.m. deceased in the river. Authorities state…

Newly Adopted 1-Year-old Dies After Being Left in hot Truck

The Parents had Recently Adopted the Girl

photo: twitterNASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Authorities say a recently adopted 1-year-old girl has died after her father left her in a hot truck. News outlets cite a release from Metro Nashville police saying the adoptive father “reportedly forgot” about the child after dropping off her sibling at day care between 7:30 a.m. and 8 a.m. Wednesday. The girl’s adoptive mother…

Two Minnesota Colleges to Offer Foreign Students Scholarships

Each School Will Make two new Awards Each Year

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Two Minnesota colleges plan to offer scholarships that let international students know they are welcome on U.S. campuses. The University of Minnesota and Concordia College in Moorhead will start offering the scholarships in fall of 2019. The St. Paul Pioneer Press reports the two Minnesota schools are among nine U.S. colleges offering #YouAreWelcomeHere scholarships to…

Teen Accused of Attacking School Employee Released From Jail

He has Been Released From Jail Without Posting Bail

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – A teenager charged with critically injuring a Minneapolis school staff member has been released from jail without posting bail. Eighteen-year-old Corey David Burfield is charged with two counts of assault following attack on Mohammed Dukuly, a paraprofessional who was beaten unconscious at Harrison Education Center earlier this week. Dukuly’s condition has improved from critical to serious at…

Fiat Chrysler Warns 4.8M Owners: Don’t use the Cruise

No Crashed or Injuries Have Been Reported

(AP Photo/Seth Perlman, File)DETROIT (AP) – Fiat Chrysler is recalling 4.8 million vehicles in the U.S. because in rare circumstances, drivers may not be able to turn off the cruise control. The company is warning owners not to use cruise control until the cars, SUVs and trucks can be fixed with a software update. The recall includes 15 Jeep, Dodge,…

Gunman Shoots Three Inside Oklahoma Restaurant

The Gunman Entered Louie’s On The Lake Around 6:30 p.m. on Thursday

(Bryan Terry/The Oklahoman via AP)OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A gunman opened fire inside an Oklahoma City restaurant during the dinner rush, wounding a woman and two girls before two armed citizens shot him dead outside, police said Friday. The suspected gunman, 28-year-old Alexander Tilghman, was armed with a pistol when he entered Louie’s On The Lake around 6:30 p.m. on…

Explosion in Canadian Restaurant Wounds 15 People

Three People had to be Rushed to a Nearby Trauma Center

(Doug Ives/The Canadian Press via AP)TORONTO (AP) – Canadian police say an explosion set off deliberately in a restaurant has wounded at least 15 people, some of them critically. Peel region police said the explosion was caused by an “improvised explosive device” that was set off by two people who then fled the scene in the Toronto suburb of Mississauga….

Dakota County Judge is Confirmed as Minnesota US Attorney

Erica MacDonald Confirmed as the State's top Federal Prosecutor

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – The U.S. Senate has confirmed a Minnesota judge as the state’s next U.S. Attorney. Erica MacDonald was confirmed as the state’s top federal prosecutor on Thursday. MacDonald has been a judge in Dakota County since 2010, and was a federal prosecutor before that – focusing on cases dealing with violent crimes, drugs, human trafficking and child pornography….

In Turnabout, Fischbach to Take Oath as Lieutenant Governor

Dayton Will Call a Special Electin to Fill Seat

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Sen. Michelle Fischbach is set to take an oath of office as lieutenant governor after months of resisting the role. Gov. Mark Dayton’s office says Fischbach will be sworn in Friday morning to serve as the Democratic governor’s No. 2. It’s an apparent change of heart for Fischbach, a Republican who was automatically elevated to…

Weinstein Faces sex Charges in Prosecution Amid #MeToo

The Fim Producer Vehemently Denies the Allegations

(AP Photo/Julio Cortez)NEW YORK (AP) – A lawyer representing one of Harvey Weinstein’s alleged victims called his arraignment on criminal charges “an emotional moment.” Attorney Carrie Goldberg represents former actress Lucia Evans, who says Weinstein forced her to perform oral sex in his office in 2004. Weinstein was charged Friday with attacking Evans and raping another, unidentified woman at a…

“Active shooter” Taken Into Custody at Indiana Middle School

Two Victims in Indiana Middle School Shooting Headed to Hospital

NOBLESVILLE, Ind. (AP) – Authorities have detained someone in what they described as an “active shooter” situation at a suburban Indianapolis middle school. The Noblesville Fire Department tweeted Friday morning that it was on an “active shooter” scene at Noblesville West Middle School and that a suspect was in custody. It didn’t say whether anyone had been shot or provide…

Wisconsin Frack Sand Sludge Spill Reaches Mississippi River

Minnesota's Pollution Agency is Monitoring

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Officials in Wisconsin are testing the environmental and health impacts following a frack sand sludge spill that has now reached the Mississippi River. A contactor’s bulldozer slid into a pond earlier this week, leading to an hours-long rescue at the Hi-Crush mine in the western Wisconsin town of Whitehall. Rescuers emptied the pond to free the man,…

Groups Urge Vetoes Over Environmental Trust Fund ‘Raid’

They Were Added in the Closing Hours of Session

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Environmental and conservation groups urge Gov. Mark Dayton to use his line-item veto power to cancel $98 million in projects funded by what they consider an improper raid on a trust fund that depends on state lottery proceeds. The wastewater infrastructure and other projects are part of a $1.5 billion public works borrowing bill, but the money…

University of Minnesota Law School Requests Funding Increase

Applications Fell More Than 50 Percent Between 2010-2017

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – The University of Minnesota Law School is seeking more funding to help it recover from a large dip in enrollment. Minnesota Public Radio reports that the university’s law school applications fell by more than 50 percent between 2010 and 2017. Law School Dean Garry Jenkins says the school decided not to lower admissions standards. He says tuition…

Morgan Freeman Apologizes in Wake of Harassment Accusations

In Total 16 Women Have Spoken out About Freeman

(Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)Oscar-winning actor Morgan Freeman apologized on Thursday to anyone who may have felt “uncomfortable or disrespected” by his behavior, after CNN reported that multiple women have accused the A-list actor of sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior on movie sets and in other professional settings. “Anyone who knows me or has worked with me knows I am…

Trump: Military Ready to Respond to North Korea

Trump Says U.S. Military is 'Ready if Necessary'

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump says the U.S. military is “ready if necessary” to respond to “foolish or reckless acts” by North Korea. Trump also says he’s been in touch with South Korea and Japan and that both allies are willing to bear much of the financial burden “if such an unfortunate situation is forced upon us.” Trump on…

One Injured in Minnesota Police Shooting

No Officers Were Hurt

CRYSTAL, Minn. (AP) – A police shooting in a suburban Minneapolis neighborhood has sent one person to the hospital with nonlethal injuries. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension says the shooting happened at a home in Crystal Wednesday night. The agency says the person is being treated at North Memorial Medical Center in Robbinsdale and is expected to live. The…

Troopers in Three States to Enforce Safety on Interstate 90

The Effort Coincides With the Long Memorial Day Weekend

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) – Highway Patrol troopers in South Dakota, Wyoming and Minnesota are joining forces for an annual traffic safety operation on Interstate 90. The effort covers 23 hours, from 5 a.m. Central time Friday to 4 a.m. Central on Saturday. Troopers in each state will crack down on speeding, hazardous moving violations, seatbelt use and impaired driving….

Man Acquitted of Killing Neighbor in Chisago County

A Jury Acquitted Anderson After Four Hours of Deliberation

CENTER CITY, Minn. (AP) – A man charged with killing his neighbor over a lake access dispute has been acquitted in Chisago County. Forty-four-year-old Carl Anderson was facing the possibility of more than two decades in prison had he been found guilty of second-degree murder. Anderson was the one who called 911 after shooting 62-year-old Donn Johnson in February 2017….

Trump Suggests NFL Players who Kneel Shouldn’t be in US

Trump: "Maybe you shouldn’t be in the country"

(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump praised an NFL policy banning kneeling during the “The Star-Spangled Banner,” saying that “maybe you shouldn’t be in the country” if you don’t stand for the anthem. Trump spoke to “Fox & Friends” in an interview that aired Thursday. The policy forbids players from sitting or taking a knee on the field…

Trump Cancels North Korean Summit, Citing `Tremendous Anger’

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump is canceling the planned June 12 summit with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, citing the “tremendous anger and open hostility” in a recent statement from North Korea. Trump says in a letter to Kim released Thursday by the White House that based on the statement, he felt it was “inappropriate, at this time, to…

North Korea Demolishes Nuclear Site Ahead of, now Canceled, Trump Summit

Trump Canceled the Planned June 12 Summit Thursday Morning

(Satellite Image ©2018 DigitalGlobe, a Maxar company via A, File) PUNGGYE-RI, North Korea (AP) — Just weeks ahead of a planned summit with U.S. President Donald Trump, Kim Jong Un made good on his promise to demolish North Korea’s nuclear test site, which was formally closed in a series of huge explosions Thursday as a group of foreign journalists looked…

Little Canada man Sentenced for Repeatedly Punching Newborn

The Newborn was Admitted to the ICU for Extensive Injuries

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – A Minnesota man has been sentenced to more than seven years in prison for repeatedly punching his infant son and severely injuring him. Twenty-three-year-old Johnny Taylor of Little Canada was sentenced Wednesday to 86 months in prison after pleading guilty to felony assault in Ramsey County. Authorities say Taylor began punching his 4-week-old son in…

20 Hurt When Semi Slams Into School bus in Wisconsin

33 People Were on the bus, 20 Were Injured

(John Hart/Wisconsin State Journal via AP)LODI, Wis. (AP) – Authorities say 20 people were hurt when a semi crashed into a school bus in south central Wisconsin. The Wisconsin State Patrol says four people were seriously injured, with two flown to hospital by helicopter and two others going to area hospitals. No details have been released on the extent of…

New NFL Anthem Policy Announced

The Players Were not Part of the Discussions

(AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File)ATLANTA (AP) – NFL owners have approved a new policy aimed at ending the firestorm over national anthem protests, permitting players to stay in the locker room during the “The Star-Spangled Banner” but requiring them to stand if they come to the field. The decision was announced Wednesday by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell during the league’s…

U of M Delays Fellowship Amid Abortion Controversy

The Program was Scheduled to Begin this Fall

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – The University of Minnesota has backed away from a medical school fellowship in reproductive health care training that included abortion procedures following opposition from anti-abortion groups. Minnesota Daily reports that the university took down the fellowship posting this month. The program was scheduled to begin in the fall. A university spokesman says opposition to the fellowship began…

Judge Says President Can’t Block Critics on Twitter

The Case was Brought Last July

(AP Photo/J. David Ake, File)NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump violates the First Amendment when he blocks critics on Twitter for political speech, a judge ruled Wednesday. U.S. District Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald in Manhattan stopped short in her written decision of ordering Trump or a subordinate to stop the practice of blocking critics from viewing his Twitter account,…

Trump Urges Nations to Cooperate on Immigration

Trump Accuses Countries of Failing to do Enough

(AP) WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump says he’s working on a plan to deduct aid from countries that don’t cooperate with U.S. immigration authorities and refuse to accept deportees. Trump says during an immigration roundtable on Long Island that every time someone tries to come into the U.S. illegally from one of the countries that receives aid, “We’re going…

Minneapolis Diners Throw Water at Conservative Tomi Lahren

Elder Says no one has Reported the Incident to Police

(Photo by Colin Young-Wolff/Invision/AP, File)MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Conservative commentator Tomi Lahren says she is disheartened and embarrassed but not broken after a patron threw water on her at a Minneapolis restaurant. The Fox News contributor told the channel’s “Fox & Friends” Wednesday that she was eating Sunday brunch with her parents when a group of people “thought it would be…

911 Call: ‘I got Attacked by a Mountain Lion, my Friend too’

One Victim was bit on the Head

SEATTLE (AP) – Recordings of emergency calls about a fatal cougar attack in Washington state Saturday detail how a dispatcher calmly struggled to figure out where it occurred and how worried the surviving victim was about his friend. Isaac Sederbaum was mountain biking with friend S.J. Brooks on logging roads in the Cascade Mountain foothills east of Seattle when they…

Foxconn Calls Story on Wisconsin ‘Inaccurate’

Foxconn Says Their Plans for Wisconsin Have not Changed

(AP) MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Foxconn Technology Group says an article saying that it plans to shift the focus of what is made at its Wisconsin plant to reduce costs is “inaccurate and is not based on any facts.” Foxconn reacted Wednesday to a story published by the Nikkei Asian Review citing unnamed sources saying the Taiwan-based company was looking…

Dayton Rejects two Biggest Bills Passed by GOP-led Legislature

Dayton has Vowed not to Call a Special Session

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Gov. Mark Dayton has vetoed the tax conformity and budget bills that state lawmakers passed in the waning days of the session. The Democratic governor’s veto knocks down the two biggest pieces of legislation that the Republican-controlled Legislature pushed through just as time was running out. Dayton has said that the so-called tax conformity bill…

Fire Damages House Where boy was Killed

The boy had Been Missing for More Than a Week

MILWAUKEE (AP) – Milwaukee police are investigating a fire at a home where a 15-year-old boy was brutally attacked and killed apparently over a stolen video game. Officials say the fire Tuesday night could be arson. Fire damage was limited. Twenty-one-year-old Malik Terrell is charged with killing Dennis King at the home by attacking him with a hammer and stabbing…

Teacher Removed From Minnesota Board Over Trump Comments

The Teacher Says she Stands by her Post

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – A former Minnesota Teacher of the Year has lost her position on a state licensing board after using an expletive in a social media post criticizing President Donald Trump. St. Paul teacher Amy Hewett-Olatunde came under fire as state lawmakers voted to strip her of her position on the state’s teacher license oversight panel. She…

Senate Bill Overhauls Handling of sex Harassment Complaints

The Bill is Expected to Pass the Senate in Short Order

WASHINGTON (AP) – Senate negotiators have released a bipartisan bill to overhaul the system for handling sexual harassment complaints on Capitol Hill. The bill eliminates mandatory counseling, mediation and the 30-day “cooling off” period victims are currently required to wait before filing a complaint or requesting a hearing. It also requires members of Congress to repay the Treasury for harassment…

USC Sued Again Over Doctor Accused of Misconduct, President Urged to Resign

Tyndall has Denied Wrongdoing in Interviews with the Los Angeles Times

(AP Photo/Richard Vogel) LOS ANGELES (AP) – A University of Southern California student is suing the school and an ex-campus gynecologist who she accuses of sexual battery. The lawsuit filed Tuesday is the latest targeting Dr. George Tyndall, who worked at a USC clinic for 30 years before resigning in 2017. Tyndall has denied wrongdoing in interviews with the Los…

More Wisconsin Communities Turning to Wheel Taxes

The Decision to Impost Such Taxes is a Local one

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – A new report shows more Wisconsin communities are imposing wheel taxes to help fund road repairs. The Wisconsin Policy Forum’s report found that until 2011 only four communities had such a tax. By the end of 2017, 27 communities had imposed a tax. Revenues from the tax nearly tripled from $7.1 million to $20.7 million during…

Minnesota man Injured in Home Explosion

Authorities are Investigating the Incident

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – A western Minnesota man is being treated for injuries caused by an explosion at a home in Benson. The Swift County Sheriff’s Office says 51-year-old Brian Orsten of Benson was injured by the blast Monday afternoon, which required him to be airlifted to Minneapolis. He is being treated at HCMC and on Tuesday was in good condition….

Many Cancer Patients Juggle Care Along With Financial Pain

Insurers are Tightening Their Prescription Coverage

(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)(AP) – Cancer patients often start two battles after diagnosis: They have to fight their disease and avoid financial ruin. Hospitals and patient advocates around the U.S. are rushing to offer more help for the latter as treatment costs soar and insurance coverage shrinks. They say patients who get overwhelmed by bills often delay treatment or cut…

MN Mother Says her 15-Year-old son Killed Himself After Being Bullied

Superintendent Jennissen Says the Allegations are Untrue

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – A Minnesota woman says her 15-year-old son killed himself after months of being bullied and assaulted, and that school staff didn’t do enough to support the boy, who had mental health issues and learning disabilities. Faith Elsharkawy says she can’t be certain that her son Jacob LeTourneau-Elsharkawy, who was a freshman at Chisago Lakes High School, was…

Michigan man Gets Prison in Diseased Body Parts Probe

Rathburn was Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison

DETROIT (AP) – A Detroit-area man who brokered cadavers and body parts for medical training has been sentenced to nine years in prison for failing to disclose that they had been infected with hepatitis or HIV. Arthur Rathburn showed no remorse Tuesday during rambling remarks to a federal judge. He blamed any problems on groups that supplied him with bodies…

Jen Schultz Files for Re-Election to MN House 7A Seat

Schultz Served in the Legislature Since 2015

DULUTH, Minn. – State Representative Jen Schultz has filed for re-election for her third term as the Representative for State House District 7A. “I’m asking for people of East Duluth to continue to support me and stand alongside me as we develop legislation to benefit our community and state.  In return, I promise to continue to be a leader to…

Police swarm city street in Florida in apparent shootout

Witnesses Heard More Than 50 Shots Fired

PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. (AP) – Multiple law enforcement agencies have surrounded a Panama City, Florida, bank and apartment building and many gunshots were heard in the area. Walton County Sheriff’s officials said on Twitter on Tuesday that the incident is tied to a suspicious death in Santa Rosa Beach. Few details have been released. The Panama City News Herald…