minnesota

Oak-killing disease spreading north in Minnesota

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Foresters and landowners are concerned that a disease that kills oak trees is spreading farther north in Minnesota. Oak wilt was been around for decades and has been confirmed in 40 Minnesota counties, but the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is now finding cases farther north than ever before.  The disease  was recently discovered in Crow…

Southern Minnesota officer shoots and kills armed individual

MINNEAPOLIS – An officer in Olivia, Minnesota shot and killed a person the police department said was armed during an “altercation” in an alley early Sunday morning. According to the department, the “armed individual” confronted the officer. The person was taken to a nearby hospital but died there. The department did not identify the officer or the person who was…

Victim in Massive Vehicle Pileup Friday Near Grand Forks Identified

GRAND FORKS, N.D. — The name of a man killed when a semi crashed through a line of stopped vehicles at the intersection of Highway 2 and Airport Road in Grand Forks is identified. He is 61-year-old Eric Jayne of Des Moines, Iowa. The highway patrol says 54-year-old Steven Piechowski of Felton, Minnesota was behind the wheel of the semi…

U.S. Supreme Court backs Minnesota Amish in septic tank fight

MINNEAPOLIS – The U.S. Supreme Court has sided with an Amish group in Minnesota that’s fighting efforts to compel them to install septic systems. The case pits families with the traditionalist Swartzentruber Amish in southeastern Minnesota against Fillmore County. Minnesota courts have sided with the county, but the Supreme Court sent the case back to the Minnesota Court of Appeals…

Court approves 3rd-degree murder charges against 3-ex cops in Floyd death

ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Minnesota Court of Appeals says prosecutors may file aiding and abetting third-degree murder charges against three former Minneapolis police officers in the death of George Floyd. The appeals court sent the case back to Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill. He denied prosecutors’ motion to add the charges against former officers J Kueng, Thomas Lane…

Minnesota lawmakers avoid government shutdown as final budget passes

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) – Minnesota lawmakers averted a partial government shutdown at midnight Wednesday by sending the final budget bill to Gov. Tim Walz’s desk. The Senate unanimously approved the $21 billion K-12 education funding agreement, the last must-pass bill before the midnight deadline. Walz has now signed eight budget bills into law and has four others on his desk….

Minnesota lawmakers pass bill that limits no-knock warrants

MINNEAPOLIS – The Minnesota Senate has joined the state House in approving a modest set of police accountability measures as part of a broader public safety budget bill. The Senate approved it 45-21 early Wednesday following a 75-59 vote Tuesday night in the Minnesota House. The approval comes on the heels of last week’s sentencing of former Minneapolis police Officer…

Six arrested in Beltrami County human trafficking sting

ST. PAUL, Minn. (KVRR) – The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension says six people were arrested during a human trafficking operation in Beltrami County. The BCA led the operation with assistance from the Tribes United Against Sex Trafficking (TRUST) Task Force, the Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office and the Bemidji Police Department. During the operation, suspects responded to an ad on…

Minnesota bracing for extended drought, wildfire conditions

MINNEAPOLIS – Minnesota authorities are bracing for an extended wildfire season, saying the typical summer reprieve is looking more and more unlikely. Wildfires are typically at their worst in the spring and fall, slowing down in the summer when trees and plants are fully green and rain increases. But more than half of the state is experiencing drought conditions and…

93 Minnesota law enforcement agencies used drones in 2020

ST. PAUL, Minn. – A new report shows a growing number of law enforcement agencies are using drones to help with search and rescue efforts, investigations and for public safety in Minnesota. The legislative report says 93 agencies statewide either maintained or used a drone in 2020 with 1,171 flights recorded. The report is the result of new regulations lawmakers…