Minnesota

Former UMD Coach Shannon Miller Accepts Reduced Award

The Reduction is in Addition to the $1.2 Million Awarded in Lost Wages and Benefits

DULUTH, Minn. – Former UMD women’s hockey coach Shannon Miller has accepted the reduced monetary award of $750,000 in emotional damages. Miller was awarded $3 million in emotional damages earlier this year but U.S. District Judge Patrick Schiltz cut that award by $2.25 million saying in his decision that the amount was extremely excessive for a one plaintiff case. The…

Multiple Agencies Respond to Lake Superior Water Rescue

There is no Word on the Condition of the Boaters

DULUTH, Minn. – The Duluth Fire Department responded to a water emergency Monday morning after a small motor boat capsized in Lake Superior. According to reports, Marine 19 and Marine 1 were dispatched to the Minnesota side of the Wisconsin entry just after 11:00 a.m. after learning one individual was missing in the water. Two of the three individuals on…

Boy, 9, Takes Wrong Turn on 5K Race, Wins 10K Race Instead

Lovell Finished the Race in Just Over 48 Minutes

SARTELL, Minn. (AP) – It took 9-year-old Kade Lovell longer than expected to finish his 5K race, but only because he was busy accidentally winning a separate 10K race. Lovell’s mother became worried when he didn’t cross the finish line of the Francis Franny Flyer 5K in Sartell, Minnesota, on Sept. 21. The St. Cloud Times reports she drove along…

Husky Gets Approval to Start Superior Refinery Rebuild

SUPERIOR, Wis. – Husky Energy says it’s been given approval to rebuild its oil refinery in Superior after an explosion and a series of fires last year. Husky says it will start the $400 million plan immediately with the goal of resuming partial operations in 2021. “Our continued investment in this refinery and the community will support the Superior-Duluth regional…

Red Flag Warning Issued for Park Point Beaches

DULUTH, Minn. – The Duluth Fire Department has issued a red flag warning for dangerous swimming conditions effective immediately. The warning for Park Point beaches will continue until 10:00 a.m. Tuesday. The department says the warning is for dangerous wind and wave conditions that can support rip currents. They recommend staying out of the water regardless of your swimming experience….

Update: Water Main Break in Upper Lakeside Repaired; Residents Asked to Boil Water

Residents can Call Utility Operations for Updates

UPDATE: City extends water boiling time frame in Upper Lakeside until 3:00 p.m. Saturday, September 28. UPDATE: Duluth Public Works and Utilities says water service was restored to residents in upper Lakeside at 2:00 a.m. Friday morning. Residents in the affected area should continue to boil water until Saturday, September 28 at 2:00 a.m. For more information you can call…

Water Certification Denied for Line 3; Re-Filing Expected

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Minnesota pollution regulators have denied a water quality certification for Enbridge Energy’s proposed Line 3 upgrade, but it may be a short-lived victory for opponents of the project. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency announced the denial Friday. The agency said the move was necessary because the state Court of Appeals had ruled in June that…

Students, Staff Find Body of Suicide Victim in Woods Near School

DULUTH, Minn. – According to the Duluth Police Department, students and a staff member at Lowell Elementary school found a body in the woods near the school Friday morning. Authorities say it appears the individual died by suicide and does not have any connection to the school. Parents of students were notified of the incident by automated calls. According to…

Court Says RJ Reynolds Tobacco Owes Minnesota Millions

Reynolds is Required to Continue Making Payments

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – A Minnesota court says R.J. Reynolds Tobacco has wrongfully failed to pay the state millions of dollars it owes under Minnesota’s landmark 1998 settlement with the tobacco industry. The attorney general’s office says the court will enter a judgment in the coming months for the amount that Reynolds owes. Attorney General Keith Ellison said late…

Al Franken to Make Return on Weekly SiriusXM Radio Show

The Show Premieres Saturday

NEW YORK (AP) – Al Franken is returning to the public sphere with a new weekly radio show on SiriusXM that will blend politics, humor and other topics. The former Minnesota senator says the show is not part of any attempt to return to politics. It is Franken’s most prominent project since he was forced to resign from the U.S….

St. Luke’s Nurses Voting Whether to Approve New Contract

Nurses Will Vote Until 9:00 p.m. Tonight

DULUTH, Minn. – Nurses at St. Luke’s are voting today on whether or not to approve a new labor contract with the hospital. This comes after union negotiators reached a tentative agreement with St. Luke’s on Saturday morning. The Minnesota Nurses Association is recommending members vote for the new contract. It includes paid short staffing bonuses for nurses and guarantees…

Minnesota Agency’s Estimate of Tribal Overpayments Grows

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – The Minnesota Department of Human Services says it underestimated the amount of money it overpaid two Native American tribes for substance abuse treatment covered under Medicaid. The agency reported last month that it overpaid the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe and the White Earth Nation by more than $25 million. The Pioneer Press reports that…