Minnesota News

Gazelka joins governor’s race, attacks Walz on pandemic

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Republican state Sen. Paul Gazelka has joined the Minnesota governor’s race. He’s accusing Democratic Gov. Tim Walz of failed leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic and the unrest that followed George Floyd’s death last summer. Gazelka said at the state Capitol on Wednesday that Walz’s shutdowns bankrupted many small businesses and restaurants, and failed a generation of…

What’s next? Former U.S. Attorney outlines possibilities after judge overturns Rodriguez death penalty

Attorney General Drew WrigleyFARGO (KVRR) – The man who led the prosecution in the death penalty case against Alfonso Rodriguez, Jr. says now that a federal judge has overturned Rodriguez’s death sentence, the government’s next move will likely be decided at “the top levels of the Justice Department.” “On a case like this, I would imagine that the Solicitor General…

Full Interview: Former Rodriguez Juror Speaks Out

Shock and confusion. That's how Luke Lillehaugen describes what he felt when heard the judge overturned the federal death penalty sentence for Alfonso Rodriguez Jr.

One of the 12-person jury who convicted and sentenced sex offender Alfonso Rodriguez Jr. to death back in 2006 is speaking out. Luke Lillehaugen served on the jury through the entirety of the trial, which stretched on through much of the summer of 2006, three years after UND student Dru Sjodin disappeared from a Grand Forks Mall parking lot. Rodriguez…

The latest: Federal judge tosses Alfonso Rodriguez death sentence

FARGO (KVRR) – A federal judge has thrown out the death sentence for a man convicted in the 2003 slaying of a North Dakota college student, saying new evidence shows that the medical examiner was “guessing” on the stand and defense lawyers did not adequately explore mental health evidence. Judge Ralph Erickson ruled Friday that misleading testimony from the coroner,…

Rodriguez juror shocked, confused with order that throws out death penalty

FARGO (KVRR) – A jury member who handed down Alfonso Rodriguez’s death penalty sentence says he disagrees with the judge who overturned the death penalty. Luke Lillehaugen was one of 12 jurors who unanimously found Rodriguez guilty and recommended he be sentenced to death in 2006. Lillehaugen says he was shocked when he found out that Eighth Circuit Court of…

Judge rejects Minneapolis ballot language on policing

MINNEAPOLIS – A judge has struck down ballot language that aimed to replace the Minneapolis Police Department with a new agency, saying the wording was misleading and unworkable. Judge Jamie Anderson issued the order Tuesday just ahead of a deadline for ballots to go to the printer. The language approved by the City Council would have asked voters whether to…

Man found dead following 911 call in Beltrami County

TURTLE RIVER TOWNSHIP, Minn. (KVRR) – Police are investigating a suspected homicide in Beltrami County. The sheriff’s office responded around 3:30 Sunday afternoon after a man said he was shot at a home in Turtle River Township. When deputies arrived, they found a man dead. His body was taken to the Midwest Medical Examiner’s office for identification and an autopsy….

Driver found dead in crash near Erhard, Minnesota

The Otter Tail County Sheriff's Office says the victim is a 29-year-old man from Elbow Lake

ERHARD, Minn. — A man is dead after crashing his vehicle into a tree in Otter Tail County over the weekend. The sheriff’s office responded to the crash east of Erhard, Minnesota after 2 o’clock Sunday afternoon. A pickup was in the ditch of County Highway 24. Authorities say the only person inside was the 29-year-old driver from Elbow Lake….

LIVE: New Series Premieres This Week Examining Rural/Urban Divide In MN

"Rural By Choice" is hosted by Perham native and Twin Cities radio host Cory Hepola

  A new documentary series premiering this weekend examines the divide between rural and urban living. Cory Hepola is a host at WCCO Radio in the Twin Cities. He’s also a Perham, Minnesota native who went to college in Moorhead. His new video series, “Rural by Choice”, examines why people chose to live rural life in Otter Tail County. He…