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North Star Stories: Voices from Where We Live is comprised of a weekly 30-minute magazine-style newscast and daily, five-minute headlines segments that shine a spotlight on the stories and perspectives of Minnesota’s diverse communities, including Black, Latine, Asian American, East African individuals, people living with disabilities, LGBTQIA2S+ residents, laborers, veterans, and those from Greater Minnesota.
WITH HEADLINES FROM AROUND THE STATE, I’M XAN HOLSTON.
COLD OPEN
A PILOT PROGRAM IN THE SOUTHEAST METRO AIMS TO SLOW DOWN CARS … WITHOUT PULLING THEM OVER.
[MENDOTA HEIGHTS POLICE CHIEF KELLY MCCARTHY: HOW DO YOU HOW DO YOU KEEP COSTS DOWN TO YOUR TAXPAYERS WHILE STILL GIVING THEM THE SERVICE THAT THEY WANT? WE HAVE TO START THINKING CREATIVELY.]
BUT FIRST...
BOELTER PLEAD NOT GUILTY
THE MAN ALREADY SERVING TWO LIFE SENTENCES – PLUS 40 YEARS- FOR LAST YEAR’S ATTACKS ON TWO MINNESOTA LAWMAKERS AND THEIR FAMILIES... PLEADED NOT GUILTY IN STATE COURT...
VANCE BOELTER ENTERED THE PLEA WEDNESDAY ON EIGHT COUNTS... INCLUDING TWO FIRST-DEGREE MURDER CHARGES.
HIS ATTORNEYS NOW CLAIM HE WAS JUSTIFIED.. WHILE TRYING TO MAKE A LAWFUL CITIZEN’S ARREST.
THEY ALSO ARGUE THAT YOU CAN’T BE TRIED FOR THE SAME CRIME TWICE AND SAY THAT’S WHAT THE STATE IS DOING SINCE HE IS ALREADY SERVING FEDERAL PRISON TIME FOR THE MURDERS ...
AND IF A TRIAL DOES HAPPPEN, THE DEFENSE WANTS IT TO TAKE PLACE OUTSIDE THE TWIN CITIES. .
[MUSIC TRANSITION]
TRAFFIC CAMS
FAST DRIVERS IN THE SOUTHEAST METRO COULD START SEEING SPEEDING TICKETS IN THE MAIL … AS PART OF A FOUR-YEAR STATE PILOT PROGRAM TESTING CAMERA-BASED ENFORCEMENT.
MENDOTA HEIGHTS HAS ONE CAMERA …LOCATED ON SOUTHBOUND DELAWARE AVENUE … WHICH ONLY PHOTOGRAPHS THE REAR PLATES OF VEHICLES GOING MORE THAN 10 MILES OVER THE LIMIT … A POLICE OFFICER REVIEWS EVERY IMAGE.
THE CAR’S OWNER WILL GET A WARNING FIRST … THEN CAN HAVE THEIR FIRST CITATION DISMISSED BY TAKING A SAFETY COURSE. CONTINUED VIOLATIONS CARRY A 40-DOLLAR FINE.
MENDOTA HEIGHTS’ POLICE CHIEF SAYS THE GOAL IS TO CHANGE BEHAVIOR … AND THAT OVER ONE MONTH … DAILY WARNINGS HAVE ALREADY DROPPED..
[MCCARTHY: IT’S GOING TO BE AT THE END OF THE PROGRAM THAT WE SEE IF THE JUICE WAS WORTH THE SQUEEZE … BUT THE PRELIMINARY DATA SEEMS TO SHOW IT’S HAVING A POSITIVE IMPACT.]
THE CITATIONS WORK LIKE PARKING TICKETS … AND WON’T AFFECT CAR OWNERS’ DRIVER’S LICENSES OR INSURANCE.
DFL MINI DONUTS
BEFORE YOU BUY THOSE MINI DONUTS... YOU MAY WANT TO KNOW WHAT ELSE YOUR MONEY IS FEEDING.
AT THE FAIR... FOOD SALES MAY BENEFIT A BOOSTER CLUB... CHURCH... NONPROFIT... OR POLITICAL PARTY.
GRANDSTAND MINI DONUTS, FOR EXAMPLE, OPERATES THROUGH “BEST FAIR FOODS” ... A POLITICAL FUND SUPPORTING D-F-L POLITICAL GROUPS IN ANOKA AND RAMSEY COUNTIES.
FILINGS SHOW 36-THOUSAND DOLLARS IN PARTY CONTRIBUTIONS LAST YEAR.
THE FAIR SAYS VENDORS MAY USE PROCEEDS AS THEY CHOOSE.
STATE LAW REQUIRES FUNDRAISERS DISCLOSE THAT A PURCHASE IS A POLITICAL CONTRIBUTION.
BUT DONUT BUYERS HAVE TO LOOK CLOSELY AT A VERY SMALL SIGN BELOW THE LIST OF INGREDIENTS...AND EVEN THAT ONLY SAYS PROFITS SUPPORTS RAMSEY AND ANOKA COUNTIES.
THE BUYER WOULD HAVE TO RESEARCH BEST FAIR FOODS TO KNOW IT IS A POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE.
NORTH STAR STORIES WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE IF A POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE FOR THE REPUBLICAN PARTY HAS A SIMILAR TYPE OF FUNDRAISING FOOD BOOTH AT THE FAIR.
SECRETARY OF STATE TOWN HALL
AND MINNESOTANS WITH QUESTIONS ABOUT THE NEXT ELECTION WILL GET A CHANCE TO ASK THE SECRETARY OF STATE AND OTHER LOCAL ELECTION OFFICIALS TONIGHT... LIVE ONLINE.
SECRETARY OF STATE STEVE SIMON IS HOSTING A VIRTUAL TOWN HALL TO DISCUSS HOW ELECTIONS ARE RUN... FROM TRAINING POLL WORKERS... TO SAFEGUARDING BALLOTS... AND MAKING SURE ELIGIBLE VOTERS CAN VOTE.
IT STARTS AT SEVEN TONIGHT... REGISTER ONLINE AT THE SECRETARY OF STATE’S WEBSITE.
WINONA COUNTY RANSOM
WINONA COUNTY IS NOW REVEALING IT PAID MORE THAN 128-THOUSAND DOLLARS TO THE CRIMINAL HACKERS BEHIND A JANUARY RANSOMWARE ATTACK.
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS SAY THE COUNTY INSURANCE CARRIER HELPED NEGOTIATE THE PAYMENT ... TO RESTORE COUNTY SERVICES AND PROTECT RESIDENTS’ AND EMPLOYEES’ PRIVATE INFORMATION.
A SECOND ... UNRELATED ATTACK HIT IN APRIL.
COMMISSIONERS SAY THEY’RE STILL INVESTIGATING ... AND WILL NOTIFY AFFECTED RESIDENTS.
THIEF RIVER FALLS RENTAL INSPECTIONS
THIEF RIVER FALLS HAS JOBS... BUT ALMOST NO EMPTY APARTMENTS IN THE NORTHWESTERN TOWN.
A CITY STUDY FOUND JUST FIVE VACANCIES AMONG 992 APARTMENTS...
WHILE NEARLY FIVE-THOUSAND PEOPLE COMMUTE INTO THE NORTHWEST MINNESOTA CITY FOR WORK… FROM UP TO 50-MILES AWAY..
NOW... THE CITY AND MAJOR EMPLOYERS ARE BUILDING APARTMENT COMPLEXES AND DEVELOPING RENTAL INSPECTION PROGRAMS TO KEEP UP WITH GROWTH..
[RICK BEIER / THIEF RIVER FALLS FIRE CHIEF WE JUST WANT TO PROMOTE SAFE AND SANITARY HOUSING CONDITIONS. MAINLY THE SAFE PART. MAKE SURE EVERYBODY HAS WORKING SMOKE DETECTORS... WORKING CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTORS.]
THE CITY WILL CONVENE A WORK GROUP LATER THIS MONTH TO LOOK FOR ADDITIONAL SOLUTIONS.
STATE FAIR SWINE WINNERS PIG COMPETITION
AND FINALLY …
[OINKS]
4-H'ERS FROM AROUND THE STATE COMPETED FOR BRAGGING RIGHTS FOR THE “TOP PIG” AT THE MINNESOTA STATE FAIR...
[THIS ONE’S PROBABLY GONNA EAT LIKE BUTTER … I MEAN, THAT THING IS A REALLY PRODUCTIVE TYPE OF A BARROW.]
FROM THE SHOW RING... THAT’S JUNIOR BARROW CLASSIC YESTERDAY...
A BARROW IS A CASTRATED MALE PIG RAISED FOR MEAT.
THE CATALOG LISTED 263 ENTRIES... A TINY SLICE OF MINNESOTA’S 9-POINT-3-MILLION HOGS... SECOND-MOST IN THE NATION.
THE MINNESOTA PORK BOARD SAYS THE OINKERS BRING MORE THAN 12-AND-A-HALF BILLION DOLLARS TO THE MINNESOTA ECONOMY ANNUALLY.
THE SHOW IS OVER... BUT THE CHAMPS STILL GET TO HOG THE SPOTLIGHT.
FOR NORTH STAR STORIES, I’M XAN HOLSTON.