DAUNTE WRIGHT-OFFICER TRIAL
State questions Potter’s decisions in Daunte Wright arrest
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Prosecutors at the manslaughter trial of Kim Potter sought to build a case that that suburban Minneapolis police officer Kim Potter acted unreasonably when she shot and killed Daunte Wright. Potter has said she meant to use her Taser on Wright before pulling her handgun by mistake during the April traffic stop in Brooklyn Center. A patrol sergeant who was at the scene testified Friday that he was holding Wright’s right arm with both hands in the moments before Potter shot Wright. A prosecutor pointed out that the sergeant didn’t draw his own Taser or gun, and that department policy says a Taser shouldn’t be used on someone operating a car.
STUDENT-ARRESTED-COLD SPRING
Police arrest student after threat in Cold Spring
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Police in Cold Spring say they have arrested a young person following a social media threat of a potential shooting at a middle school. Extra police were stationed at the ROCORI middle school Thursday and Friday after school officials notified parents that a student had posted a warning on Snapchat for others to stay away from the school on Friday, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reported. After the arrest, school officials said there was no evidence of an ongoing threat to school safety. School officials also excused any student absences from the school.
CLIMATE CHANGE-MINNESOTA
Minnesota lake ice shrinking as climate change warms winters
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Officials from Minnesota’s natural resources and pollution control agencies detail the ways climate change is diminishing Minnesota winters, with 10 to 14 fewer days of lake ice over the past 50 years. It’s a change they say hurts local economies, the environment and the Minnesota way of life. Warmer lake waters are leading to more toxic algal blooms, higher chances of invasive species and declines in populations of lake trout and walleye. Officials called for state and federal investments in climate mitigation efforts to protect Minnesota winters as we know them.
SHERIFF-DRUNKEN DRIVING
Charging decision expected next week in sheriff crash
ALEXANDRIA, Minn. (AP) — Prosecutors in Douglas County say they expect to make a decision next week on whether to charge Hennepin County Sheriff David Hutchinson after he crashed his vehicle. Hutchinson rolled his county vehicle on Interstate 94 near Alexandria on Wednesday. He acknowledged he had been drinking before the crash. The St. Paul Pioneer Press reports that the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is analyzing a Hutchinson urine sample to determine if he was intoxicated and Douglas County Attorney Chad Larson will make a charging decision based on the test results early next week.
DAUNTE WRIGHT-OFFICER TRIAL-EXPLAINER-DEFENSE STRATEGY
EXPLAINER: What’s behind dual defense in Potter trial?
Defense lawyers for suburban Minneapolis police officer Kim Potter say she made a mistake when she drew her handgun instead of her Taser and fatally shot Daunte Wright. But they’re also arguing that the former Brooklyn Center officer would have been justified in shooting him anyway. Legal experts and attorneys following the case say it can be a bad idea to offer two defenses that seem at odds. But not in this case. Prosecutors are trying to convict Potter of first- and second-degree manslaughter. Experts say her lawyers’ arguments are consistent with each other and could provide multiple rebuttals to the charges.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-US
National Guard helping virus-sapped states, hospitals
More U.S. states desperate to defend against COVID-19 are calling on the National Guard and other military personnel to assist. Staff at hospitals and other care centers are being worn down by a rise in virus cases that began before Thanksgiving, especially in some Northeast and Upper Midwest states. Meanwhile, New York state announced a statewide indoor mask order, effective Monday and lasting five weeks through the holiday season. Gov. Kathy Hochul warns that New York is entering a “time of uncertainty.” The seven-day rolling average for daily new cases in the U.S. rose over the past two weeks to 117,677 by Thursday, compared to 84,756 on Thanksgiving Day.
SEVERE WEATHER-UPPER MIDWEST
Heavy snow, winter storm warning hits Great Plains states
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Heavy snow is hitting the Great Plains, prompting school closures and warnings to avoid travel. The National Weather Service forecasted that parts of South Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin could see nearly 1 foot of snow, with the most coming later in the day. A winter storm warning was issued for an area stretching across southern South Dakota and upwards into Wisconsin. Many schools did not wait to see how much snow would pile up and announced that Friday classes would be canceled. The South Dakota Highway Patrol reported that several vehicles had slid off the road along Interstate 90.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-BAR OWNER-RULES
Minnesota bar owner who defied virus orders found guilty
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The owner of a bar in Albert Lea was found guilty of six criminal misdemeanor charges and sentenced to 90 days in jail for defying Gov. Tim Walz’s executive orders to close her business last winter. The jury found Lisa Hanson, 57, guilty after deliberating for an hour, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reported. Judge Joseph Bueltel gave her a 90-day jail sentence and a $1,000 fine. He says he wanted to send a message to people who violate executive orders. Hanson had flaunted her defiance of an order to shut bars and restaurants to indoor dining late last year. She argued that Walz’s orders were unconstitutional.
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