Vance Boelter is sentenced to two life sentences plus 40 years, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area and Wilderness will allow some day permits, and North Minneapolis gets a new jazz festival.
Transcript
WITH HEADLINES FROM AROUND THE STATE, I’M XAN HOLSTON.
A NATIONAL AWARD RECOGNIZING MINNESOTA COURAGE IS NOW BECOMING A CALL FOR ACTION.
[CAROLINA ORTIZ: THIS IS REALLY FOR ALL OF US HERE IN MINNESOTA THAT REALLY CHOSE COURAGE OVER FEAR.]
THE FOUR LEADERS WHO ACCEPTED THE JOHN F. KENNEDY PROFILE IN COURAGE AWARD ON BEHALF OF THE TWIN CITIES ARE NOW URGING MINNESOTA’S CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION TO INVESTIGATE RECENT DEATHS INVOLVING ICE IN OTHER STATES... AND STRENGTHEN FEDERAL OVERSIGHT.
THE AWARD HONORED ALL PEOPLE OF THE TWIN CITIES WHO STOOD TOGETHER DURING OPERATION METRO SURGE.. DOCUMENTING.. BUILDING RAPID-RESPONSE NETWORKS... AND PROTECTING AND HELPING IMMIGRANTS AND NEIGHBORS.
CAROLINA ORTIZ IS ONE OF THE FOUR RECOGNIZED FOR THE AWARD ... SHE WORKS WITH COPAL ... AN ORGANIZATION THAT SERVES AND SUPPORTS MINNESOTA’S LATINO FAMILIES.
ORTIZ HELPED TRAIN 30-THOUSAND CONSTITUTIONAL OBSERVERS... SHE’S NOW ASKING MINNESOTANS TO STAND UP IN SOLIDARITY AGAIN.. AND SIGN THE CONGRESSIONAL LETTER..
[CAROLINA ORTIZ: WE HAVE A MORAL RESPONSIBILITY TO USE THE PLATFORM THAT WE HAVE NOW TO ASK AND DEMAND FOR ANSWERS AND ACCOUNTABILITY. AND THAT’S REALLY THE HOPE OF THIS LETTER... TO CONTINUE TO UPLIFT THAT WE CANNOT NORMALIZE THIS.]
COPAL AND ITS PARTNERS ARE ALSO CONTINUING TO PROVIDE, LEGAL, RENT AND MENTAL HEALTH ASSISTANCE FOR FAMILIES IMPACTED BY METRO SURGE.
--BOELTER SENTENCING--
THE MAN WHO MURDERED FORMER MINNESOTA HOUSE SPEAKER EMERITA MELISSA HORTMAN AND HER HUSBAND … AND TRIED TO KILL STATE SENATOR JOHN HOFFMAN AND HIS WIFE … WILL SPEND THE REST OF HIS LIFE IN FEDERAL PRISON.
A JUDGE SENTENCED VANCE BOELTER THURSDAY TO TWO CONSECUTIVE LIFE TERMS … PLUS 40 YEARS.
AS PART OF THE SENTENCING PROCESS WE LEARNED MORE ABOUT THE MURDERER’S MOTIVE. PROSECUTORS SAY HE WAS TRYING TO GIVE REPUBLICANS CONTROL OF THE MINNESOTA LEGISLATURE.
HE PLEADED GUILTY TO MULTIPLE FEDERAL CHARGES IN AN AGREEMENT THAT SPARED HIM THE DEATH PENALTY.
HE WILL BE IN STATE COURT IN AUGUST ON CHARGES OF FIRST-DEGREE PREMEDITATED MURDER.
[HCAO: NO FIREWORKS CHARGES]
MEANWHILE … HENNEPIN COUNTY PROSECUTORS WILL NOT FILE FELONY CHARGES AGAINST A MAN ACCUSED OF SHOOTING FIREWORKS TOWARD THE HOFFMANS’ CHAMPLIN HOME.
POLICE SAY A NEIGHBOR SHOT FIREWORKS DURING A DISPUTE LAST MONTH.
THE HENNEPIN COUNTY ATTORNEY SAYS THERE IS NOT ENOUGH EVIDENCE FOR FELONY CHARGES ... AND REFERRED THE CASE TO THE CHAMPLIN CITY ATTORNEY TO REVIEW FOR POSSIBLE LESSER CHARGES.
--FEDERAL AGENT SENTENCED--
A FORMER FEDERAL AGENT FROM EAGAN … IN THE SOUTH METRO … WILL SPEND SEVEN YEARS IN PRISON FOR PRODUCING CHILD SEXUAL-ABUSE MATERIAL.
FEDERAL PROSECUTORS SAY TIMOTHY GREGG RECORDED SEXUALLY EXPLICIT ACTS WITH A MINOR WHILE WORKING AS A HOMELAND SECURITY INVESTIGATIONS AGENT AND F-B-I TASK-FORCE OFFICER.
AFTER PRISON... HE WILL SPEND ANOTHER 10 YEARS ON FEDERAL SUPERVISED RELEASE.
--WILDFIRE UPDATE--
THOSE IMPACTED BY WILDFIRES UP NORTH ARE FINALLY HEARING SOME GOOD NEWS FROM FORESTRY OFFICIALS...
SOME AREAS OF THE BOUNDARY WATERS WILL BE OPENED FOR ‘DAY PERMITS’ STARTING MONDAY.
AND ... NORTHWEST OF GRAND MARAIS, THE COMMANDER OF THE LITTLE KNIFE FIRE SAYS THE BIG FLAMES ARE NOW MOSTLY SMOLDERING.
[JASON LOOMIS, NIMO: SO ALL IN ALL, FEELING PRETTY GOOD ABOUT THINGS WHERE WE'RE AT, BUT WE STILL HAVE A WAYS TO GO WITH RESPECT TO PUTTING THIS THING INTO A PLACE WHERE WE WE FEEL COMFORTABLE LEAVING IT.]
FARTHER WEST … THE U-S FOREST SERVICE SAYS FIREFIGHTERS ARE MAKING PROGRESS ... REMOVING BRUSH AND SETTING UP SPRINKLER SYSTEMS AROUND HOMES IN CASE FIRES SPREAD AS DRY, WARM, WINDY WEATHER RETURNS.
--CRYPTO KIOSK NEW LAW – OLDER ADULT SCAM PREVENTION--
BEGINNING AUGUST FIRST ... PHYSICAL CRYPTO KIOSKS CAN NO LONGER OPERATE ... AND ALL MACHINES MUST BE REMOVED FROM PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE SPACES BY THE END OF THE YEAR.
THE COMMERCE DEPARTMENT SAYS 70 KIOSK-SCAM CASES COST MINNESOTANS MORE THAN 540-THOUSAND DOLLARS LAST YEAR ... AND THE SCAMMERS DISPROPORTIONATELY TARGET SENIORS.
--BITCOIN DEPOT BANKRUPTCY--
EVEN BEFORE MINNESOTA’S BAN TAKES EFFECT ... ONE NATIONAL CRYPTO-KIOSK OPERATOR IS ALREADY GONE.
BITCOIN DEPOT … WHICH OPERATED IN 33 STATES INCLUDING MINNESOTA... FILED FOR CHAPTER ELEVEN IN MAY.
THE STATE’S COMMERCE OFFICIALS SAY PEOPLE WITH OUTSTANDING FUNDS MAY STILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR REFUNDS AND TO CONTACT THE BITCOIN DEPOT’S BANKRUPTCY HOTLINE OR CALL THE MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE.
--NORTH SIDE JAZZ FEST--
AND FINALLY …
[A SECTION OF “JOURNEY TO THE LIGHT” BY KEVIN E WASHINGTON]
NORTH MINNEAPOLIS HAS LONG SHAPED AMERICAN MUSIC … BUT IT’S NEVER HAD ITS OWN MUSIC FEST UNTIL NOW.
THIS SUNDAY … THE INAUGURAL NORTHSIDE JAZZ AND HERITAGE FESTIVAL TAKES OVER THE MISSISSIPPI RIVERFRONT … CELEBRATING THE NORTH SIDE’S MUSICAL LEGACY THROUGH JAZZ, SOUL, AND GOSPEL.
YOU’RE HEARING “JOURNEY TO THE LIGHT” FROM MINNEAPOLIS DRUMMER KEVIN E. WASHINGTON … WHO’S AMONG THE ARTISTS PERFORMING AT THE FESTIVAL.
THE FREE EVENT RUNS 11 TO 7 SUNDAY … MORE INFO AT NORTHSIDE JAZZ FESTIVAL DOT COM.
FOR NORTH STAR STORIES, I’M XAN HOLSTON.