STILLWATER, Minn. (AP) – A 10-year-old Stillwater boy who led police on a chase in his parents’ minivan says he was headed to the store to buy Cheerios. The St. Paul Pioneer Press reported Tuesday that a police officer spotted the boy driving the van around 9:30 p.m. Sunday and knew immediately he was either 10 or 11 years old. The…
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Gov. Tim Walz on Tuesday launched an outreach campaign aimed at vaccinating Minnesota workers in frontline industries in the coming weeks. The outreach effort, which is part of a broader statewide “Roll Up Your Sleeves, MN” campaign, aims to connect workers in industries like food service with opportunities to get vaccinated at state-run community vaccination sites. The…
FREDERICK, Md. (AP) — A Navy medic shot and critically wounded two people at a Maryland business park Tuesday, then fled to a nearby Army base where he was shot and killed, police and U.S. Navy officials said. The man entered a business at the Riverside Tech Park, causing people inside to flee, but it was unclear if the shooting…
BEMIDJI, Minn. (AP) — The city of Bemidji has reached a settlement with 3M to help pay for treating contamination in the community’s water supply. 3M will pay $12.5 million toward building and operating a new treatment facility to remove chemicals known as PFAS, which the company manufactured for use as firefighting foam. The city found elevated levels of PFAS…
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minneapolis police chief who called George Floyd’s death “murder” soon after it happened testified that Officer Derek Chauvin had clearly violated department policy when he pinned Floyd’s neck beneath his knee for more than 9 minutes. Chief Medaria Arradondo took the stand on Day Six of Chauvin’s trial in the death of the 46-year-old Black man…
WASHINGTON (AP) – President Joe Biden is set to announce that he’s shaving about two weeks off his May 1 deadline for states to make all adults eligible for coronavirus vaccines. A White House official says Biden will make the announcement later Tuesday. With states gradually expanding eligibility beyond such priority groups as seniors and essential, front-line workers, the president…
MADISON, S.D. (AP) — Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers on Monday declared a state of emergency in response to dangerous wildfire conditions throughout the state. The executive order will ensure support from the Wisconsin National Guard and use of the Guard’s Blackhawk helicopters. It directs all state agencies to assist when needed in wildfire prevention, response, and recovery efforts. There have…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Everyone age 16 and up are now eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine in Wisconsin. Monday’s expansion came the same day that an outbreak of a more contagious variant of the coronavirus was reported at a Dane County child care center. Positive cases statewide are on the rise. Also on Monday, the state announced it was once…
ANOKA, Minn. (AP) — Last month’s death of “Miracle on Ice” Olympic hockey standout Mark Pavelich was ruled a suicide, a Minnesota medical examiner said Monday. The Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office in Anoka County said in a news release that the 63-year-old Pavelich died of asphyxia. His body was found on March 3 at the Eagle’s Healing Nest in Sauk…
WASHINGTON — A top U.S. public health official says young people are driving the latest uptick in COVID-19 cases, as the increasing rate of vaccination in older Americans is preventing the most serious cases among seniors. Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said during a briefing Monday that “cases are increasing nationally, and…
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has dismissed a case over former President Donald Trump’s efforts to block critics from his personal Twitter account. Lower courts had ruled against Trump. But the justices said Monday there was nothing left to the case after Trump was permanently suspended from Twitter and ended his presidential term in January. Twitter banned Trump two…
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The trial of a former Minneapolis police officer in George Floyd’s death is expected Monday to turn toward the fired officer’s training after a first week dominated by emotional testimony from eyewitnesses and a devastating video of his arrest. Derek Chauvin is charged with murder and manslaughter in the May 25 death of Floyd. Chauvin, who is…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin’s COVID-19 daily case count has jumped to its highest mark since mid-February. State health officials reported 875 confirmed cases on Friday, the highest number of daily cases since Feb. 12, when the figure was 938 cases. The seven-day daily case average increased to 531. The statistic stood at less than 400 cases in mid-March. The…
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The head of the Minneapolis Police Department’s homicide division has testified that kneeling on the neck of someone who is handcuffed and lying on his stomach is top-tier, deadly force, and “totally unnecessary.” Lt. Richard Zimmerman testified Friday at the trial of former Officer Derek Chauvin, who is charged with killing George Floyd last year. His testimony…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is suspending burning permits in its jurisdictions in 43 counties and mobilizing firefighters as the state heads into an unseasonably warm and dry weekend. The agency regulates burning in 43 of the state’s 72 counties. Department Fire Suppression Specialist Catherine Koele announced Friday that the agency has suspended burning permits…
WASHINGTON (AP) — A man rammed a car into two Capitol Police officers at a barricade outside the U.S. Capitol on Friday afternoon before being shot to death by authorities when he got out of the vehicle while holding what appeared to be a knife, two law enforcement officials told The Associated Press. Both Capitol Police officers were taken to…
(AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File) WASHINGTON (AP) — A car rammed a barricade outside the U.S. Capitol on Friday afternoon, injuring two Capitol Police officers and leading to the driver being shot, two law enforcement officials told The Associated Press. At least one officer was in serious condition, while the driver was in critical condition. Capitol Police say the crash happened…
NEW YORK (AP) — Add travel to the activities vaccinated Americans can enjoy again. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its guidance Friday to say fully vaccinated people can travel within the U.S. without getting a COVID-19 test or going into quarantine. The agency previously cautioned against unnecessary travel even for vaccinated people. The agency says vaccinated people…
FOND DU LAC, Wis. (AP) — Crews have ended their search on Lake Winnebago after recovering the second of two victims thrown into the water when their canoe capsized in rough conditions. Michael Gohde’s body was recovered Thursday afternoon about 150 yards from where the body of his friend, Dakota Goldapske was pulled from the lake Wednesday. The two men,…
WASHINGTON (AP) — America’s employers unleashed a burst of hiring in March, adding 916,000 jobs in a sign that a sustained recovery from the pandemic recession is taking hold as vaccinations accelerate, stimulus checks flow through the economy and businesses increasingly reopen. The March increase — the most since August — was nearly double February’s gain of 468,000, the Labor…
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota exceeded more than 2,000 daily cases of the coronavirus on Thursday for the first time in months as cases in recent weeks continue to trend upward. The Minnesota Department of Health reported 2,140 new cases and 12 more people have died due to the coronavirus, putting the state’s totals at 521,667 cases and 6,860 deaths since…
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The latest U.S. mass shooting has happened at a Southern California office building where four people were killed, including a child, and a woman was critically wounded. The gunman was also wounded and hospitalized. Police did not disclose a motive for Wednesday’s shooting in the city of Orange southeast Los Angeles. When officers arrived, shots were…
FOND DU LAC, Wis. (AP) — The body of one of the two canoers presumed drowned in Lake Winnebago has been recovered, according to Fond du Lac County sheriff’s officials. Sonar devices used by the sheriff and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources search teams produced an image late Wednesday afternoon that sent divers into the water to investigate. They recovered…
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Supreme Court on Wednesday affirmed the conviction in the case of a snowmobiler sentenced to more than 12 years in prison for crashing into an 8-year-old boy on Chisago Lake and killing him. Eric Coleman, of Chisago City, was sentenced in February 2019 for the January 2018 death of second-grader Alan Geisenkoetter Jr. The boy’s…
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota cases and hospitalizations driven by coronavirus variants in recent weeks continue to steadily climb, even as officials make progress on the state’s vaccination efforts. Just over 400 patients are hospitalized due to complications from COVID-19 as of Tuesday, including 102 in intensive care — the most since late January, according to the state’s dashboard. While hospitalizations…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – The Wisconsin Supreme Court has struck down Gov. Tony Evers’ statewide mask mandate, ruling that the Democratic governor exceeded his authority by issuing the order. The 4-3 ruling Wednesday by the conservative-controlled court is the latest legal blow to attempts by Evers to control the coronavirus. It comes after Republicans in the Legislature voted to repeal…
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Minneapolis firefighter who wept as she recounted how a police officer prevented her from helping George Floyd is resuming testimony Wednesday in the trial of the fired police officer charged in Floyd’s death. Genevieve Hansen said Tuesday that she came upon Derek Chauvin restraining Floyd while out on a walk last Memorial Day. Hansen says she…
(Richard Chung via AP) (AP) – Pfizer says its COVID-19 vaccine is safe and strongly protective in kids as young as 12. The announcement Wednesday marks a step toward possibly beginning shots in this age group before the next school year. Most COVID-19 vaccines being rolled out worldwide are for adults, who are at higher risk from the coronavirus. Pfizer’s…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin will make everyone in the state who is 16 and older eligible for COVID-19 vaccinations starting next week, Gov. Tony Evers said Tuesday. Evers, a Democrat, announced the change in a tweet. BREAKING: Wisconsin leads the nation in getting available shots in arms, and today we’re announcing everyone 16 and older will be eligible…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Seven more pharmacy chains are set to offer COVID-19 vaccine shots in Wisconsin, state health officials said Tuesday. The state Department of Health Services announced that seven new chains will receive the vaccine this week as part of the federal retail pharmacy program, including Costco; CVS; Hy-Vee; Good Neighbor and AmerisourceBergen Drug Corporation; Health Mart; Medicine…
FOND DU LAC, Wis. – Authorities in Fond du Lac County are searching for two people who are missing after they were thrown from a canoe into the choppy waters of Lake Winnebago. Dispatchers received a 911 call from one of the two individuals at about 8:30 p.m. Monday. The canoers were about one mile north of the Fond du…
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A man who was among onlookers shouting at a Minneapolis police officer to get off George Floyd last May returns to the stand on Tuesday, a day after he described seeing Floyd struggle for air and his eyes rolling back into his head, saying he saw Floyd “slowly fade away … like a fish in a bag.”…
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is extending a federal moratorium on evictions of tenants who’ve fallen behind on rent during the coronavirus pandemic. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Monday moved to continue the pandemic-related protection, which had been scheduled to expire on Wednesday. The moratorium is now extended through the end of June. The moratorium initially was…
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Shocking video footage of George Floyd gasping for breath was front and center Monday as the former Minneapolis police officer who pressed his knee into the Black man’s neck went on trial Monday on charges of murder and manslaughter. Prosecutors played the video that shows Derek Chauvin kneeling on George Floyd’s neck for 9 minutes, 29 seconds…
(AP Photo/Susan Walsh, Pool) WASHINGTON (AP) — CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky is making an impassioned plea to Americans not to let their guard down in the fight against COVID-19. She warned on Monday of a potential “fourth wave” of the virus. She’s speaking of a “recurring feeling … of impending doom.” During a White House briefing, Walensky grew emotional…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Gov. Tony Evers killed a bill Monday that would have given Republican legislators oversight of Wisconsin’s share of billions of dollars in federal COVID-19 relief funds, instead announcing his own plan for distributing the money. Evers, a Democrat, took the unusual step of vetoing the bill during a news conference at a Milwaukee cafe, holding up…
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A former member of the medical staff at the St. Louis County Jail in Duluth, Minnesota has sued the county over an alleged 2016 incident in which a correctional officer attacked the medical technician and claimed it was an impromptu training exercise. Natalina Slaughter said in a lawsuit she had recently started working at the jail when…
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A former Minneapolis police officer goes on trial Monday in George Floyd’s death, and jurors may not wait long to see parts of the bystander video that caught Derek Chauvin’s knee on Floyd’s neck. Prosecutors have not said when they will play the video, but legal experts say they expect it to be early as part of…
SUEZ, Egypt (AP) — A canal service provider says that workers have successfully set free a colossal container ship that for nearly a week has been stuck sideways across the Suez Canal, one of the world’s most crucial arteries for trade. Leth Agencies said that the vessel had been refloated on Monday. Helped by the peak of high tide, a flotilla of…
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has delivered his third State of the State address from his former high school classroom and said that “brighter days are here” as a substantial portion of the population is being vaccinated against the coronavirus and businesses start to fully reopen. The first-term Democrat gave the speech Sunday from his old social studies…
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz delivered his third State of the State address Sunday from his former high school classroom and said brighter days have arrived and “normalcy is on the horizon” as a substantial portion of the population is being vaccinated against the coronavirus and businesses start to fully reopen. The first-term Democrat gave the speech from…
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Nearly all the wreckage along Lake Street has been hauled away. The fire-swept buildings have been torn down or repaired. The police station is empty, its entryway sealed with stacked concrete blocks like a street corner pharaoh’s tomb. The street, the focus of so much violence when protests raged through Minneapolis after George Floyd died in police…
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Gov. Tim Walz has announced a final expansion in vaccine eligibility to all Minnesotans 16 and older starting Tuesday. The expansion comes before an anticipated increase in the state’s weekly allotment in early April that will nearly double the state’s current weekly shipments to more than 300,000 doses. The governor’s office acknowledges that securing an appointment will…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The first Wisconsin case of a potentially more severe COVID-19 variant known that originated in Brazil was confirmed Friday by the state Department of Health Services. The variant known as the P.1 is believed to spread more rapidly and easily than the original strain of COVID-19. Wisconsin health officials also said the variant has unique mutations…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Bars and restaurants in Wisconsin can sell cocktails to go starting on Sunday. Gov. Tony Evers signed the bill into law Friday, just before happy hour, but it won’t take effect until after it’s published on Sunday. The bill won bipartisan approval in the Legislature. It allows for mixed drinks and glasses of wine to be…
(AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, file) MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Gov. Tony Evers has vetoed a Republican-supported bill that would have required him to submit a plan within three weeks for returning state employees to work out of their offices during the pandemic. Evers said in his veto message Friday that more state employees are scheduled to return to their offices…
(Steve Apps/Wisconsin State Journal via AP) MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Police who were stumped by the theft of a rare pine tree in November from the University of Wisconsin Arboretum said Friday that they have cracked the case. UW-Madison police said three 19-year-old university students stole the tree as part of a “pledge” activity for the former Chi Phi fraternity, which hasn’t…
WASHINGTON (AP) — Dominion Voting Systems has filed a $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit against Fox News, arguing the cable news giant falsely claimed in an effort to boost faltering ratings that the voting company rigged the 2020 election. Friday’s defamation lawsuit is the first filed against a media outlet by the Denver-based company at the center of false claims spread…
TAYLORS FALLS, Minn. (AP) — One man was killed and another was injured in an apparent rock climbing accident in eastern Minnesota, authorities said. The Chisago County Sheriff’s Office said deputies were called to the lower landing at Interstate State Park in Taylors Falls Thursday at about 4 p.m. on a report of a rock-climbing fall with unknown injuries. Deputies…
MILWAUKEE (AP) — A Black man who was paralyzed after he was shot in the back by a white police officer in southeastern Wisconsin has filed an excessive force civil lawsuit. Jacob Blake Jr. was shot by Kenosha Officer Rusten Sheskey in August while Blake was about to get into an SUV during a domestic dispute. Blake’s federal complaint against…
