minnesota

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…

Medical marijuana patients in Minnesota seek gun rights

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Staunch conservatives and advocates of legal marijuana have formed an unlikely alliance in Minnesota to pressure the Legislature to allow medical cannabis patients to own guns. The more than 35,000 patients in Minnesota’s program can’t own guns as the law now stands because the federal government classifies marijuana as an illicit drug, similar to heroin. Gun-rights…

Social Distancing: NW Angle Still Stranded By The Pandemic

Lake of the Woods Tourism Testifies About Issues To U.S. Senate

  Most of the U.S. is open again as COVID numbers keep dropping. But there are still areas that are suffering financially under COVID restrictions. One of those areas is right here in our region, and now their plight is getting the spotlight on Capitol Hill. Lake of the Woods Tourism Executive Director Joe Henry testified this week in front…

BCA seeking information in unsolved murder of Wheaton farmer

WHEATON, Minn. (FOX 9) – The murder of a farmer along the western border of Minnesota remains unsolved one year later. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is asking anyone with information on the murder of 68-year-old Terry McCoy to call their tip line at 1-877-996-6222. According to the BCA, McCoy last seen alive on June 17, 2020. He was…