Author: KVRR Staff

“Swatting” Suspect Arrested for Fake Bomb and Shooting Calls to 11 States & Canada

TACOMA, Wash. (AP) — A Washington state man is arrested for making more than 20 “swatting” calls to 11 states, including Minnesota, and to Edmonton in Canada. Authorities say 20-year-old Ashton Garcia’s calls prompted real emergency responses to his fake reports of bombs, shootings or other threats. Garcia used voice-over-internet technology to conceal his identity as he placed the calls…

TikTok will be banned from North Dakota university system devices & networks

The decision was voted on by North Dakota's Board of Higher Education

BISMARCK, N.D. (KVRR/KFGO) — North Dakota’s Board of Higher Education has voted to block the popular social media platform TikTok from all State University System devices and networks effective July 1st . The Board would consider allowing TikTok to be used for marketing purposes, pending further research by vice chancellor of information technology Darin King. Lawmakers in Washington have warned…

Update: Evacuations end in Raymond, Minn. after train derailment

(FOX9)PRINSBURG, Minn. (AP) — Hundreds of people had to evacuate their Minnesota town after a train hauling ethanol and corn syrup derailed and caught fire early Thursday, but authorities were hopeful that the quick response and cold weather would help limit the impact of this latest crash. Still, those pushing to improve rail safety said the derailment only added urgency…

FDA approves Naloxone for over-the-counter use

FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) — Narcan, a lifesaving drug which reverses the effects of opioid overdoses, is now readily available for users over the counter. People can grab the item at convenience, grocery, and drug stores. Narcan has been useful in counteracting drugs like fentanyl. “At the end of the day, the message to people who have drug addiction is that…

Former Senator Talks About Cracking Down on E-Cigarette Makers

FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) — A former North Dakota senator and architect of one of the largest tobacco settlements in U.S. history is speaking out about Minnesota’s court case against vape manufacturer Juul. Minnesota is the first to take its case against the e-cigarette maker to court, after about 39 other states and territories settled. Former U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp, a…

Cold Weather Helps Keep Spilled Chemicals In Place At Richland Co. Derailment Site

RICHLAND CO., N.D. (KVRR/KFGO) — The cold weather helped keep chemicals that spilled from a derailed Canadian Pacific train from spreading very far. Emergency Management Director Brett Lambrecht says with temperatures well below freezing, the leaked chemicals remained within about 100 feet of the derailment site south of Wyndmere. Liquid asphalt and ethylene glycol from six railcars mostly hardened and…