(Jeff Wheeler/Star Tribune via AP, File) ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – The Minnesota Supreme Court will decide whether the state Department of Natural Resources has the authority to change the name of Lake Calhoun in Minneapolis to its original Dakota name, Bde Maka Ska. The state Court of Appeals ruled in April that the agency overstepped its authority in January…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) -Minnesota regulators have urged the state Supreme Court to deny challenges by opponents of Enbridge Energy’s proposed Line 3 oil pipeline replacement who say the project’s environmental review was flawed. The Public Utilities Commission told the Supreme Court Tuesday it believes the review was “adequate in all respects.” Enbridge wants to replace its existing Line 3…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – The University of Wisconsin would be able to increase tuition no greater than the rate of inflation under a bill being proposed in the state Legislature by the chairman of the Assembly’s higher education committee. The proposal envisions a time without a tuition freeze that’s been in place for six years and will run for at…
(DNR) MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Wildlife officials from around the Midwest are converging in Wisconsin to discuss chronic wasting disease. The two-day conference is set to begin Wednesday at Madison’s Monona Terrace convention center. It’s slated to conclude Thursday afternoon. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is hosting the event. Officials from the Missouri Department of Conservation, the Wisconsin DNR,…
WASHINGTON (AP) – The former special counsel in the Trump-Russia probe, Robert Mueller, will finally face congressional interrogators on Wednesday, testifying in televised hearings. Democrats hope Mueller’s testimony will weaken President Donald Trump’s reelection prospects in ways that Mueller’s book-length report did not. Republicans are ready to defend Trump and turn their fire on Mueller and his team instead. The…
MADISON, Wis.-A Native American tribe in Wisconsin is suing Enbridge Inc. in hopes of forcing the Canadian company to remove a key pipeline that runs through their reservation. The Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa filed the lawsuit Tuesday in federal court in Madison. The Line 5 pipeline carries oil and natural gas liquids from Canada to eastern Michigan….
WASHINGTON (AP) – The Trump administration is proposing to tighten automatic eligibility requirements for the food stamp program, a change that could affect about 3.1 million people. The Agriculture Department says the rule would close “a loophole” that enables people receiving only minimal benefits from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program to be eligible automatically for food stamps. Under…
(AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) WASHINGTON (AP) – The Senate has confirmed Army veteran and former defense industry lobbyist Mark Esper as secretary of defense. Esper’s confirmation ends a stretch of seven months the Pentagon didn’t have a permanent leader. Esper won Senate confirmation on Tuesday by a vote of 90-8 and is to be sworn in by day’s end. The…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – The Legislature’s budget committee has approved spending more than $4 million to purchase more than 14,000 acres of forest land in northern Wisconsin under the state’s stewardship program. The land in Iron County would be preserved for public access and protected from development under the $4.3 million purchase approved by the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee on…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – A compliance officer in Minnesota’s Department of Human Services says she was retaliated against after reporting problems with contracts at the agency. Faye K. Bernstein says she was verbally reprimanded and not allowed to carry out her duties after she pointed out what she called “serious non-compliance issues” with some contracts approved by leaders in…
(photo: AP news) MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – A Minnesota appeals court has upheld a decision to discharge a repeat child molester from the state’s sex offender program. The Minnesota Department of Human Services objected to the release of 46-year-old Jerry Gene Kerkhoff from the treatment program in which he has been enrolled for 20 years. Department officials argued Kerkoff still needs…
(photo: twitter) MADISON, Wis. (AP) – The state Department of Natural Resources is asking wastewater treatment plants to test for polyfluoroalkyl pollution. The substances, also known as PFAS, are man-made chemicals that have been used for decades in products such as fire-fighting foam, non-stick cookware and fast-food wrappers. Research suggests PFAS can decrease female fertility, increase the risk of…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Minnesota’s top law enforcement officials are launching a working group and public hearings on police-involved shootings. Attorney General Keith Ellison and Public Safety Commissioner John Harrington say the group will begin work later this summer. The move comes as police departments and the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension have often come under heavy criticism for…
WASHINGTON (AP) – House Republicans are pledging tough questioning of special counsel Robert Mueller when he testifies before Congress this week as Democrats plan to air evidence of wrongdoing by President Donald Trump in a potentially last-ditch bid to impeach him. Rep. Doug Collins, the top Republican on House Judiciary Committee, said the American public is growing weary of the…
(photo courtesy: Fox 11) MADISON, Wis. (AP) – The University of Wisconsin System will pay a former student $325,000 to settle claims that a professor sexually harassed her. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports the former student, identified as A.R. in court documents, sued in October alleging UW-Oshkosh failed to take action against former art professor Michael Beitz. A.R. alleged she…
ONAMIA, Minn. (AP) –Officials are investigating after an angler was found dead in his boat on the shore of Mille Lacs Lake. The Mille Lacs County sheriff’s office says 59-year-old Daniel Gable, of Hastings, was reported missing by his wife around 11 p.m. Friday. She told deputies he had gone fishing on the big lake in east-central Minnesota, but hadn’t…
ST. PAUL, Minn.-A top administrator has resigned from the Minnesota Department of Corrections, the latest incidence of turnover in Gov. Tim Walz’s administration. Sarah Walker resigned Friday as deputy commissioner of the department. Walker’s announcement follows resignations of two deputy commissioners in the Department of Human Services last week _ but they rescinded their departures this week after Human Services…
(WKOW-TV via AP) MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Fires at two Madison Gas and Electric substations have knocked about power to more than 11,000 customers on what is promising to be a sweltering day of heat and humidity. An explosion and fire at the utility’s main power center sent a plume of thick, black smoke over Madison’s east side about 7:40…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Minnesota conservation officials say there’s a small, but noticeable increase in loon deaths and the likely cause is West Nile virus. The Department of Natural Resources says the virus was confirmed as the cause of death in two of three loons from northeastern Minnesota earlier this month. Minnesota Public Radio News says the agency is…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Minnesota lawmakers are considering reorganizing the state’s Department of Human Services following a series of leadership resignations. Commissioner Tony Lourey abruptly announced his resignation, followed by chief of staff Stacie Weeks. Two veteran deputy commissioners, Chuck Johnson and Claire Wilson, also resigned but rescinded their decision Wednesday. Minnesota Public Radio News reports some Republican lawmakers…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – The Republican leader of the Wisconsin state Senate is calling for a veto override after Gov. Tony Evers’ administration said Milwaukee’s street car could compete for $75 million in grant money. Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald called for the veto override on Thursday. His call came shortly after Transportation Secretary Craig Thompson outlined how the new…
NEW YORK (AP) – A federal judge has denied bail for jailed financier Jeffrey Epstein on sex trafficking charges involving underage girls. The judge’s decision Thursday comes after prosecutors argued Epstein should remain behind bars in New York City because he has the means to flee and is a danger to the public. Prosecutors fear Epstein also might try to…
(photo: WI National Guard) MADISON, Wis. (AP) – The Wisconsin National Guard is trying to determine how a drone crashed near Volk Field. The Guard issued a news release Thursday saying a RQ-7 Shadow drone lost its link to its operator at Volk Field on Wednesday afternoon about two miles northwest of the base during a training exercise. The drone…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – State officials are investigating CenturyLink after receiving hundreds of complaints that the utility failed to respond to requests to locate and mark underground cables. Minnesota Public Radio News cites a state Office of Administrative Hearings document which shows CenturyLink faces more than $780,000 in fines for alleged violations of a law intended to protect the…
CROOKSTON, Minn. (AP) – The Diocese of Crookston has reached a $5 million settlement with 15 people who were children when they were sexually abused by priests. As part of the settlement, the diocese agreed to make public the names and files of clergy who have been accused of abuse. That information will be released at a later date. Victims’…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Two top leaders at the Minnesota Department of Human Services have rescinded their resignations after Commissioner Tony Lourey’s abrupt departure. Deputy Commissioners Chuck Johnson and Claire Wilson announced their resignations last week. They didn’t say why they were resigning, but Gov. Tim Walz said it was over concerns about the agency’s direction. Lourey resigned on…
(photo courtesy: CNN) MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Five new lawsuits have been filed more than two years after a natural gas explosion caused part of a Minneapolis school to collapse, killing two people and injuring nine others. The lawsuits say CenterPoint Energy and Master Mechanical knew their work at Minnehaha Academy was “hazardous and abnormally dangerous” but “failed to inspect and…
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Attorneys for the former Minneapolis police officer who fatally shot an unarmed woman after she called 911 about a possible assault have filed an appeal. Mohamed Noor was convicted of third-degree murder and manslaughter in the July 2017 death of Justine Ruszczyk Damond, a 40-year-old dual citizen of the U.S. and Australia. He was sentenced to more…
MILWAUKEE (AP) – Republican U.S. Rep. Sean Duffy of Wisconsin calls the four minority congresswomen targeted by President Donald Trump’s controversial tweets “anti-American.” The 7th District congressman defended Trump on the House floor Tuesday where Democrats asked that Duffy’s words be stricken from the record, calling them “defamatory.” All three Democratic representatives from Wisconsin joined party members in voting for…
(T’xer Zhon Kha/The Post-Crescent via AP, Pool) BARRON, Wis. (AP) – A man who admitted to kidnapping Jayme Closs and killing her parents has been moved to a facility outside of Wisconsin. Twenty-two-year-old Jake Patterson is serving life without parole for the October deaths of James and Denise Closs. State records say he was moved Monday, but they do not…
WASHINGTON (AP) – Federal Prosecutors announced Tuesday that it had decided not to bring civil rights charges against New York City police officer Pantaleo in connection with Eric Garner’s 2014 death. Officers were attempting to arrest Garner on charges he sold loose, untaxed cigarettes outside a Staten Island convenience store. Garner refused to be handcuffed, and officers took him down….
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Democratic lawmakers are planning to tout a new bill that would dramatically rework how Wisconsin draws its legislative district boundaries. Republicans redrew the lines in 2011 to consolidate supporters, helping them maintain control of both houses since then. Democratic voters filed a federal lawsuit in 2015 alleging the boundaries were unconstitutional but the U.S. Supreme Court…
ST. LOUIS PARK, Minn. (AP) – A suburban Minneapolis city council has voted to reinstate the Pledge of Allegiance at its meetings after its decision to drop it generated a firestorm of criticism. The St. Louis Park City Council voted unanimously Monday night to bring back the pledge as more than 100 people packed the meeting room to protest the…
WASHINGTON (AP) – Two Republican senators are taking issue with President Donald Trump’s tweet that freshman Democratic congresswomen of color “go back” to where they came from. Maine Sen. Susan Collins, who is up for re-election next year, said Trump’s tweet was “way over the line and he should take that down.” Republican Sen. Patrick Toomey of Pennsylvania said of…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Gov. Tim Walz’s Human Services commissioner has resigned just six months after being appointed. The governor’s office announced Tony Lourey’s resignation on Monday without explanation. He leaves just days after two deputy commissioners announced their departures – also without explanation. Lourey says in a resignation letter that a new leader is necessary to carry out…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker says he won’t run for office in 2022 after he accepted a full-time job running a national conservative youth organization. Walker tells the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in a story published Monday that the job as president of the Young America’s Foundation will prevent him from running for his old job as…
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Hot and humid weather that triggered severe thunderstorms in Minnesota is sticking around for now. The National Weather Service issued a heat advisory for the Twin Cities metro Monday when the combination of dew points, humidity and temperature exceeds 90 degrees. Storms that rolled across Minnesota Sunday night caused flash flooding in Brainerd, where a sinkhole opened…
MADISON, Minn. (AP) – A farmer in western Minnesota is dead after authorities say he became pinned under an ATV. The Lac qui Parle County Sheriff’s Office says authorities were notified at 3 a.m. Friday that a farmer had been out spraying on an ATV and had not returned home. A search effort was being organized when the farmer was…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – The University of Wisconsin System regents have scheduled a public hearing on regulations enacting a policy that calls for suspending and expelling students who disrupt campus speeches and presentations. The regents adopted a policy in October 2017 that mandates chancellors suspend students who disrupt others’ free speech twice and expel students who disrupt others’ free speech…
WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump will visit Wisconsin on Friday, one of two Midwest stops as he warms up his re-election engine. Wisconsin has emerged as a vital testing ground for the president’s hopes to take credit for the strong economy and push for his trade policy. In 2016, Trump became the first Republican to win the state since…
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta is stepping down following criticism of his handling of a plea deal with a wealthy financier Jeffrey Epstein, who is accused of sexually abusing dozens of underage girls. Trump announced the news with Acosta by his side at the White House as Trump left on a trip to the…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Two of the top officials at Minnesota’s largest state agency are leaving their jobs, and the department isn’t saying why. Human Services Commissioner Tony Lourey announced Thursday that Deputy Commissioners Chuck Johnson and Claire Wilson are resigning in the coming weeks. He thanked them for their service but gave no reason for the abrupt exits….
HAWLEY, Minn. (AP) – Authorities say a pilot has died in an ultra-light plane crash at a municipal airport in western Minnesota. The plane crashed after noon Thursday at Hawley Municipal Airport. Clay County Sheriff Mark Empting says the pilot was the only person aboard and died at the scene. His name, age and hometown were not released. Empting says…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – The University of Wisconsin System regents have voted to increase student fees and room-and-board costs for the upcoming school year. The regents approved the increases unanimously as part of the system’s 2019-20 operational budget Thursday. Under the plan, student fees will increase an average of $36 across the system. UW-Madison students will face a $170 increase,…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota taxpayers helped foot the bill when Jimmy Fallon broadcast “The Tonight Show” from Minneapolis as part of last year’s Super Bowl festivities. Minnesota Public Radio News obtained information via public records request that shows the state paid the show $267,000 through a rebate program. The state’s Snowbate program is aimed at luring productions and…
RAMSEY, Minn. (AP) – Officials say a lottery ticket sold in Anoka County is worth more than $21 million. The Minnesota Lottery says the Lotto America ticket hit the jackpot in Wednesday night’s drawing. It was sold at a Holiday convenience store in Ramsey. If the winner chooses the $21.6 million annuity jackpot, it would be paid over 29 years….
HASTINGS, Minn. (AP) – A Minnesota state trooper is charged with repeatedly sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl. The Dakota County Attorney’s Office has charged 36-year-old Shawn Barta with first- and second-degree criminal sexual conduct involving the girl who authorities say is “cognitively delayed.” The State Patrol has placed Barta on leave pending the outcome of the case and an internal…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – A high school in Madison plans to offer students free condoms as part of a pilot program this year. The Wisconsin State Journal reports Madison West High School will provide condoms for free to students upon request. The Madison Metropolitan School District’s health services coordinator, Sally Zirbel-Donish, says students will be told about reproductive health, proper…
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Officials say the number of people reportedly sickened while boating around Big Island on Lake Minnetonka over the Fourth of July has grown to nearly 120. As of 10 a.m. Wednesday, Hennepin County has returned 140 phone calls from people who reported being ill and were in that area over the holiday. Of those calls, 116 said…
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – The Minnesota Supreme Court has ruled that a suspected impaired driver does not have a limited right to an attorney before submitting to a blood test if police have a search warrant. Wednesday’s decision comes in the case of a woman arrested on suspicion of drunken driving in 2017 in Dakota County. A deputy got a warrant…
