Minnesota

Man Killed by Train When Scooter got Stuck on Tracks

Authorities are Investigating the Incident

ROCHESTER, Minn. (AP) – Authorities a man was killed by a train when his mobility scooter got stuck on some railroad tracks in downtown Rochester. KTTC-TV reports witnesses told police the scooter’s wheels got stuck as the crossing gates came down and the lights activated shortly before 8 a.m. Friday. The Canadian Pacific train operator blew the whistle and hit…

St. Paul Police Investigate Three Stun gun Attacks

Police are Warning People to be Careful

ST.PAUL, Minn. (AP) – St. Paul police are investigating three recent stun gun attacks. Investigators say the first attack happened Saturday night just north of Como Park Golf Course. A man out walking was assaulted by several males with a stun gun who took his keys. Two other attacks happened Monday night. A man riding his bike was hit from…

Legislative Auditor to Probe Allegations of Child Care Fraud

James Nobles' Office Will Investigate the Alleged Fraud

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Minnesota’s legislative auditor will investigate allegations that child care providers are stealing money from the state’s publicly funded child-subsidy program. Legislative Auditor James Nobles tells the Star Tribune his office will explore the scope of the alleged fraud and whether the Human Services Department had adequate controls to prevent it. Nobles said several lawmakers asked his office…

Body Found in Forest Lake Woods

Officers are not Looking for any Suspects

FOREST LAKE, Minn. (AP) – Police are working to learn the identity of a body found in some woods in Forest Lake. Authorities say a man searching for morel mushrooms found the body Thursday behind the CenturyLink building. Police Capt. Greg Weiss says officers are not looking for any suspects in the death. Weiss says he can’t comment on whether…

Tree Worker Killed in on-the-job Incident in Richfield

The Worker was Killed by a Flying Piece of Metal

RICHFIELD, Minn. (AP) – A landscaping company employee is dead after an on-the-job incident in Richfield. Authorities say the 51-year-old worker was killed Wednesday by a flying piece of metal from a wood chipper. It happened while another employee with Victory Tree Service was working on the clogged machine. The worker who died was identified by family as 51-year-old Bill…

7-year-old boy Dies of Gunshot Wound to the Head

The boy was Pronounced Dead at the Scene

PLYMOUTH, Minn. (AP) — Police say a 7-year-old boy has died after being shot in the head in suburban Minneapolis. Plymouth police say officers were called around 3 p.m. Wednesday on a report that a child was bleeding from a wound in the head. When officers arrived at the Plymouth home, they discovered he had suffered a gunshot wound. Efforts…

Minnesota Officials Denounce EPA’s Planned Limits on Science

The Change Will Increase Transparency in Decision-Making

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Minnesota’s top environmental and health officials have denounced the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s plan to restrict the types of scientific studies that regulators can use to determine human health impacts. In a blistering letter to EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Commissioner John Linc Stine and Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm say the limits…

Proposal Would Expand Places for Liquor Purchases

Opponents Worry Small Businesses Can't Compete

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – A year after repealing a ban on Sunday liquor sales, Minnesota lawmakers are taking another look at where people can buy their booze. Lawmakers on Tuesday debated a proposal that would allow people to buy beer, wine and certain spirits in places like grocery stores and corner stores. Minnesota and Utah are the only two…

Hands-Free Cell Phones Push Appears Over in Legislature

The Bill Stalled in the Senate

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – A move to require Minnesota drivers to use only hands-free cell phones looks like it’s finished for the current legislative session. Rep. Mark Uglem, the Champlin Republican sponsoring the bill in the House, says leaders told him his bill won’t get a vote as the session heads toward a finish this weekend. Uglem tells Minnesota…

St. Louis County Attorney Mark Rubin Receives Highest Attorney Rating

DULUTH, Minn. – St. Louis County Attorney Mark S. Rubin has again been awarded the AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell. This is the highest possible rating for both ability and ethical standards. According to Martindale-Hubbell, this rating represents the pinnacle of professional excellence and is achieved only after an attorney has been reviewed and recommended by their peers/members of the…

Dayton Says he Won’t Pass tax Bill Without School Funding

Dayton Says Schools Need Additional Money

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton says he won’t sign a bill squaring the state’s tax code to sweeping federal changes if Republican lawmakers don’t include emergency funding money for schools. Dayton’s comments Monday set the stage for tricky negotiations with GOP legislative leaders as they careen toward deadlines. Passing a so-called tax conformity bill to avoid…

Lawmakers’ to-do List is Long, but Time is Running Short

The Deadline is May 21

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Just like they started the session, Minnesota’s Legislature is entering the homestretch with a long to-do list. But now they have just over a week to finish it. Republicans who control the Legislature and Gov. Mark Dayton are at odds on how to restructure Minnesota’s tax code, how to change health care programs and whether…