ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – A court defeat in a case over the way Minnesota taxed trust accounts in other states could end up costing about $130 million this budget cycle. The Minnesota Department of Revenue estimated it will have to repay about $67 million, plus interest, in rebates over the next two years for overtaxing some trust accounts. It…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Wisconsin school bus companies are struggling to find enough drivers before the start of the school year next month. Most of the school buses used the state are privately contracted. Steve Roekle, who owns the Manitowoc-based Brandt Buses, told Wisconsin Public Radio that there’s a high bar to becoming a school bus driver. The job requires…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Democratic U.S. Reps. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan are hosting a news conference on travel restrictions to Israel and Palestine, after they were denied entry into Israel last week. At the urging of President Donald Trump, Israel denied entry to the two Muslim representatives over their support for the Palestinian-led boycott…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Minnesota’s film and TV production incentive program is changing after questions were raised about past awards, including $267,000 for Jimmy Fallon’s “Tonight Show.” Minnesota Public Radio News reports the board that runs the Snowbate program announced the changes Monday. Awards would not go to shows built around a national event in Minnesota, nor to projects…
(Evan Frost/Minnesota Public Radio via AP)BEMIDJI, Minn. (AP) – Dozens of people rallied outside the Bemidji office of Enbridge Energy to protest the company’s proposed Line 3 oil pipeline replacement. Protesters say that six members of their group chained themselves to a gate early Monday. Enbridge’s Bemidji office closed for the day. Enbridge spokeswoman Juli Kellner says that over the…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – A new report says life expectancy in Wisconsin has dropped for two years in a row fueled by increased deaths from alcohol abuse and opioids. The Wisconsin Policy Forum report released Monday finds that while Wisconsin is mirroring a national trend in shorter life expectancies overall, the state loses ground due to alcohol and opioid deaths…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Two Native American tribes in Wisconsin are receiving federal grants for renewable energy projects that tribe members say will help reduce costs and lead to energy independence. The Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa in Odanah received a nearly $1 million grant, while the Forest County Potawatomi Community in Crandon got a grant for more…
(courtesy: Fox 9) MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Health officials have closed all beaches at a popular Minneapolis lake after the number of illnesses identified in people who swam there rose to 49. All of the diarrhea cases involve people who became ill after swimming at Lake Nokomis since mid-July. The Minnesota Department of Health reported the jump in cases Friday. The…
NEW YORK (AP) – New York City’s medical examiner has ruled Jeffrey Epstein’s death a suicide. The medical examiner’s office said in a statement Friday that an autopsy and other evidence confirms the 66-year-old financier hanged himself in his cell at a federal jail. Epstein was awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges involving underage girls. Epstein was placed on…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Wisconsin taxpayers will pay a liberal group’s attorneys $200,000 because Republican lawmakers blocked them on Twitter. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports state officials agreed Thursday to pay the legal bills for One Wisconsin Now’s attorneys. A federal judge ruled in January that Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and Rep. John Nygren, both Republicans, had infringed on the…
Image from Fox 9 MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Students will return to Minnehaha Academy next week, two years after a natural gas explosion leveled part of the Minneapolis campus, killing two staffers and injuring nine other people. Brick salvaged from the rubble as well as stone stair treads have been incorporated into the new construction. Two wooden benches in the lobby…
JERUSALEM (AP) – Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib says she will not let down the Palestinian people by remaining silent about their condition on a visit to the West Bank. That’s the case despite a letter she submitted earlier to the Israeli government in which she promised to respect any restrictions imposed on her visit to the West Bank. Tlaib tweeted…
JERUSALEM (AP) – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel “is open to all visitors and all criticism,” but will bar entry to two U.S. Democratic congresswomen over their support for boycotts. Netanyahu’s office issued a statement Thursday saying that based on Reps. Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar’s itinerary for an upcoming visit to the West Bank and Jerusalem, “it became…
REMER, Minn. (AP) – A man has suffered serious injuries in a house explosion in northern Minnesota. The Cass County Sheriff’s Office says the 46-year-old man was doing service work on a propane furnace in Remer when the explosion occurred Thursday. The Hill City man was the only one in the residence at the time. He was taken by air…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers and Democratic lawmakers are proposing an expansion of background checks for gun sales in the state. Republicans who control the Legislature have said they are opposed to such efforts. But Evers and Democrats are pushing it in the wake of two mass shootings earlier this month, saying the public is behind the…
RINGLE, Wis. (AP) – A Wisconsin fugitive is in custody after a hunter discovered him hiding in a makeshift bunker in the woods. WSAW-TV reports that Thomas Nelson of Wausau noticed a bunker carved into an embankment on state land in the township of Ringle west of Wausau several months ago. He returned to the bunker on Friday to see…
PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Authorities say several Philadelphia police officers have been injured in an “active and ongoing” shooting situation in the city. Sgt. Eric Gripp tweeted there was at least one suspect firing at police officers Wednesday afternoon. A police spokesman confirmed the shooting in the Nicetown section of the city but offered no other information. Temple University tweeted that…
MUNISING, Mich. (AP) — Kayakers on a tour of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in northern Michigan narrowly escaped injury when a large section of cliff collapsed near them into Lake Superior. WLUC-TV reports the kayakers were in an area where sandstone cliffs stand up to about 200 feet above the water. Van Ouellette-Ballas of Northern Waters Adventures, one of the…
NEW ULM, Minn. (AP) — A Minnesota man has been sentenced to three years in prison after he said he threw a “death party” for his wife and gave her methamphetamine that killed her. Fifty-nine-year-old Duane Johnson of Searles was sentenced Monday after pleading guilty in June to criminal neglect. Sixty-nine-year-old Debra Johnson was found dead in their home in…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Wisconsin Republican lawmakers find themselves in an unusual position, advocating for a bill they’ve introduced that broadens birth control access. Anti-abortion groups that are typically their allies are firmly against the measure, which would allow pharmacists to prescribe birth control pills. A public hearing on the bill was set for Wednesday in the Assembly Health Committee….
EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (AP) – Police say a man found passed out behind the wheel at an Eau Claire gas station is facing his 12th drunken driving charge. WQOW-TV reports Keith Bondie appeared in Eau Claire County Circuit Court Tuesday where bond was set at $10,000 cash. The 60-year-old Elk Mound man was arrested Saturday at the Kwik Trip. First…
(courtesy: Fox 9) MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Minnesota health officials say three children have gotten sick from E. coli bacteria after swimming in a popular Minneapolis lake. Two beaches at Lake Nokomis have been closed until further notice because of high bacteria levels while the state Department of Health investigates. Minnesota Public Radio News reports Park Board Superintendent Al Bangoura says…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – The chair of a Minnesota Senate committee that oversees the Department of Human Services has told the agency’s acting head that she or her successor need to figure out how they’ll repay the federal government for $25 million in apparent overpayments to two tribes for substance abuse treatment. The overpayments were one of the main…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Minnesota health officials say severe lung damage has been reported among young people linked to vaping. Children’s Minnesota has reported finding four cases of lung injury in the Minneapolis area potentially related to vaping. The Minnesota Department of Health said Tuesday the cases are similar to recent cases reported in Wisconsin and Illinois , but…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren will visit Minnesota to host a town hall on Monday. Warren will appear at the Leonard Center Fieldhouse at Macalester College in St. Paul. Doors open at 4:15 p.m. and the event begins at 6:15 p.m. Tickets can be reserved via the Warren campaign website. Minnesota’s presidential primary is March…
STILLWATER, Minn. (AP) — A Minnesota judge has lifted a no contact order for a man accused of killing his infant son allowing the defendant to have contact with his pregnant wife. The no contact order had been in place since Friday for 35-year-old Matthew Hoisser of Woodbury. The St. Paul Pioneer Press reports a Washington County judge vacated the…
(AP Photo) MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Gov. Tony Evers is urging President Donald Trump to end his trade wars with other countries because they’re hurting Wisconsin farmers. Evers, a Democrat, sent Trump a letter Monday asking him to end the disputes. He says Wisconsin farmers are suffering a “triple whammy” of trade uncertainty, low commodity prices and bad weather. The…
WASHINGTON (AP) – California and Massachusetts say they’ll go to court to fight the Trump administration’s overhaul of the Endangered Species Act. Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey and California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said Monday that they planned to sue. It came hours after the administration announced broad changes to the way the government would enforce endangered species protections. Both…
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – Authorities in Minnesota have arrested an Iowa pastor on charges that he sexually assaulted two girls at a home in Omaha, Nebraska. Police in Carlton County, Minnesota, arrested 44-year-old Emanuel J. Rodriguez on Saturday morning on a Douglas County, Nebraska, arrest warrant that charged him with two counts of third-degree sexual assault of a child. The…
(courtesy: Office of Gov. Tim Walz) ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Gov. Tim Walz says he still wants Senate Republicans to hold hearings on Democratic proposals for gun control and emergency insulin supplies. The governor told reporters Monday he finds it “absolutely unacceptable” that none have been scheduled following the latest mass shootings in Ohio and Texas. He contrasted the…
STILLWATER, Minn. (AP) – Minnesota prosecutors say a Woodbury father intentionally dropped his 5-month-old son headfirst on the floor because the baby was crying and fussy. Thirty-five-year-old Matthew Hoisser is charged with second-degree murder in the April death of his son, Gus. Hoisser’s bail was set at $350,000 on Friday. The St. Paul Pioneer Press reports a Washington County judge…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Gov. Tim Walz has named the leader of Lutheran Social Services to take over the state’s troubled Department of Human Services. Walz said Monday that Jodi Harpstead will replace Commissioner Tony Lourey starting next month. “It is my honor to appoint a Commissioner of Human Services with broad private and non-profit experience, and a proven…
MANAWA, Wis. (AP) – Authorities in Wisconsin say a man was killed when his home exploded. Waupaca County Sheriff Tim Wilz tells news outlets that the man killed in the Sunday morning explosion was likely asleep. He had not yet been identified. Wilz says the home was `”totally obliterated.” Manawa Rural Fire Chief Rob Rosenau says debris was `”scattered all…
(AP Photo, File) (AP) – Walmart is removing from all of its stores signs, displays or videos that depict violence following a mass shooting at an El Paso, Texas, store that killed 22 people. The retailer instructed employees in an internal memo to remove any marketing material, turn off or unplug video game consoles that show violent games, and to…
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Local planners say Minneapolis is the first city of its size in the country to ban new drive-through windows. The City Council voted Thursday to ban new construction of drive-through facilities. The existing ones are grandfathered. Council President Lisa Bender proposed the ban last year to cut down on vehicle noise, idling and traffic and to make…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – The Wisconsin Department of Health Services says doctors in Wisconsin have confirmed new cases of lung disease tied to vaping. Health officials have confirmed a total of 12 cases and are investigating 13 other cases. The new cases include those who vaped marijuana oils, extracts or concentrates. Patients with confirmed cases range in age from teens…
INVER GROVE HEIGHTS, Minn. (AP) – Sheriff’s officials say a man has died after falling into the Mississippi River as he was getting off a boat in Inver Grove Heights. The Dakota County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call about a person who had fallen into the water at Twin Cities Marina about 10:30 p.m. Wednesday. KMSP-TV reports first responders…
(courtesy: Fox 9) ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Gov. Tim Walz says the state has signed a $33.9 million contract with an outside vendor to replace its troubled Minnesota Licensing and Registration System, known as MNLARS. The contract goes to Fast Enterprises. The governor’s office said Thursday that Fast Enterprises has successfully implemented its software for vehicle title and registration…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Wisconsin prison officials say they illegally released information that could reveal whether inmates are in substance abuse treatment. The Department of Corrections said Thursday that officials responding to an open records request released records on June 24 that contained 1,041 inmates’ personal identification numbers and locations. No names were released but DOC officials say someone could…
(AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File) NEW YORK (AP) – FedEx says it will no longer make ground deliveries for Amazon as the online shopping giant builds its own fleet and becomes more of a threat to delivery companies. The announcement Wednesday comes two months after FedEx terminated its air delivery contract with Amazon. FedEx said dumping Amazon is part of…
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Minnesota health officials say there’s an outbreak in cases of hepatitis A, a virus that can cause severe liver damage. Twenty-three cases have been identified with 13 patients requiring hospitalization for the virus, which is spread by unsanitary conditions. The state Department of Health is advocating for broader vaccination efforts in high-risk areas, such as jails and…
(courtesy: Fox 9) FRIDLEY, Minn. (AP) – Authorities in Minnesota say a 70-year-old man camping in a Walmart parking lot put a hot cook stove in his van, causing it to catch fire and spread to another van, burning two young sisters and killing one of them. Prosecutors on Wednesday charged Roberto Lino Hipolito of Long Beach, California, with second-degree…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has denied requests to reconsider the tailings dam permits that it issued for the planned PolyMet copper-nickel mine. The DNR said Wednesday that opponents did not raise any new issues that materially affect its 2008 decision granting the permits. The Fond du Lac Band of Chippewa and environmental groups…
NEW YORK (AP) – Pharmacy chain Walgreens plans to close 200 stores in the United States as it seeks to cut costs. The company said in a regulatory filing Tuesday the closings are part of its previously announced plan to trim costs by $1.5 billion in a few years. In May, the company announced plans to close 200 stores in…
(photo: twitter) MADISON, Wis. (AP) – The state Department of Natural Resources is investigating a spill at a Jackson County frac sand mine. The Wisconsin State Journal reports the spill occurred Saturday at the 670-acre Wisconsin Proppants Hixton mine in the town of Curran northwest of Black River Falls. Town Chairman Dwight Swenson says he saw signs of a spill…
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. (AP) – A Bloomington man is charged with fatally stabbing his wife. Fifty-six-year-old John Lawler is facing a second-degree murder charge and is expected in court Wednesday. Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman says prosecutors are seeking bail of $1 million. A criminal complaint says Lawler and his 47-year-old wife, Darla King, returned their townhome about 6 p.m. Sunday…
BARRON, Wis. (AP) – The house where Jayme Closs was kidnapped and her parents were fatally shot has been torn down in northwestern Wisconsin. The bank that owns the house near Barron had it demolished Tuesday after consulting with relatives about the property. Barron County Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald tells the Star Tribune his department released the crime scene back to…
FRIDLEY, Minn. (AP) – Two young sisters were burned, one critically, when a van caught fire in a Walmart parking lot in a northern Minneapolis suburb. Authorities say the girls were alone in the van Tuesday morning for 45 minutes to an hour as their mother shopped in the store in Fridley. A van next to the girls’ van caught…
MILWAUKEE (AP) – Johnson Controls International is devoting $140 million to address pollutants from firefighting foam in northeastern Wisconsin. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that the company’s third-quarter earnings report indicates it will set the money aside to clean-up pollution from PFAS in Marinette, where its Tyco Fire Products unit is based. PFAS are man-made chemicals found in products such…
LITTLE CANADA, Minn. (AP) – Authorities have made an arrest in a fatal stabbing in Little Canada. Ramsey County sheriff’s officials say a 30-year-old woman, found covered in blood at her residence, was arrested early Monday. A woman about the same age was found dead outside the home about 10 p.m. Sunday. Authorities believe the suspect and victim knew each…
