Mankato comes up short on federal airport funding, an ICE agent wanted for shooting a man in North Minneapolis is arrested in Texas, and June means Pride in Minnesota.
Transcript
WITH HEADLINES FROM AROUND THE STATE, I’M XAN HOLSTON.
--SARTELL MOBILE HOME SETTLEMENT--
A GROUP OF NEIGHBORS WHO SAY THEY LIVED WITH SEWAGE PROBLEMS... MASSIVE WATER BILLS, AND ILLEGAL LEASE-TERMS AT ‘SARTELL MOBILE HOME PARK’ NOW HAVE A COURT-APPROVED CLASS-ACTION SETTLEMENT.
THE RESIDENTS OF SARTELL MOBILE HOME PARK SUED IN 20-24..
THE SUIT SAYS ONE RESIDENT FOUND AN OPEN POOL OF RAW SEWAGE BENEATH HIS HOME … OTHERS SAY SEWAGE BACKED UP INTO THEIR TOILETS AND SHOWERS.
STILL OTHERS TELL STORIES OF MASSIVELY INFLATED WATER BILLS … ONE FOR 63-THOUSAND GALLONS OF WATER IN A MONTH … ANOTHER FOR 355-THOUSAND GALLONS.
A FEDERAL JUDGE APPROVED A SETTLEMENT LAST WEEK WITH THE PARK’S CURRENT OWNER … SARTELL M-H-C.
THE DEAL REQUIRES SEWER REPAIRS … REGULAR INSPECTIONS … AND SOIL TESTING AND CLEANUP IF NEEDED.
THE NEIGHBORS’ LAWSUIT OVER THE SEWAGE, BILLING, AND LEASE ALLEGATIONS AGAINST THE FORMER OWNERS AND OPERATORS CONTINUES.
--MANKATO AIR TOWER--
A 27-MILLION DOLLAR AIRPORT UPGRADE IN MANKATO IS GROUNDED AFTER FEDERAL FUNDING CAME IN FAR SHORT OF WHAT THE CITY EXPECTED.
THE CITY PLANNED ON A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION ‘AIRPORT TERMINAL PROGRAM GRANT’ TO FUND UP TO 95-PERCENT OF A NEW AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL TOWER FOR THE MANKATO AIRPORT...
INSTEAD … MANKATO RECEIVED FIVE MILLION FROM A DIFFERENT F-A-A GRANT… LEAVING A GAP MANKATO DIRECTOR OF ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES … PARKER SKOPHAMMER (SCOPE-HAMMER) … SAYS CAN’T BE COVERED LOCALLY.
[PARKER SKOPHAMMER: THE PROJECT JUST DOESN’T MAKE SENSE RIGHT NOW, WHICH IS UNFORTUNATE BECAUSE THE PRIMARY PIECE HERE IS THE SAFETY OF THE USERS OF THE AIRPORT.]
THE CITY SAYS IT IS MINNESOTA’S SECOND-BUSIEST AIRPORT WITHOUT A CONTROL TOWER ... WITH GROWING TRAFFIC AND SAFETY CONCERNS.
THE CITY IS NOW LOOKING FOR NEW FUNDING OPTIONS.
--ICE AGENT ARRESTED--
THE ICE AGENT ACCUSED OF SHOOTING A MAN THROUGH THE FRONT DOOR OF A MINNEAPOLIS HOME HAS BEEN ARRESTED IN TEXAS.
THE HENNEPIN COUNTY PROSECUTOR SAYS CHRISTIAN CASTRO WAS TRACKED DOWN IN TEXAS... WHERE TEXAS RANGERS TOOK HIM INTO CUSTODY FRIDAY MORNING...
CASTRO FACES FOUR COUNTS OF SECOND-DEGREE ASSAULT ... AND ONE COUNT OF FALSELY REPORTING A CRIME.
PROSECUTORS SAY HE FIRED THROUGH THE FRONT DOOR OF A HOME IN JANUARY … HITTING JULIO SOSA-CELIS IN THE LEG..
CASTRO IS THE SECOND FEDERAL AGENT CHARGED FOR ILLEGAL CONDUCT DURING OPERATION METRO SURGE.
--PROFILES IN COURAGE AWARD--
THE PEOPLE OF THE TWIN CITIES ARE BEING HONORED WITH A JOHN F. KENNEDY PROFILE IN COURAGE AWARD FOR THEIR RESPONSE TO OPERATION METRO SURGE.
[THE AWARD IS BEING ACCEPTED BY FOUR MINNESOTA LEADERS: ]
IMAM YUSUF ABDULLE, WHO HELPED ORGANIZE SOMALI AND FAITH-COMMUNITY RESPONSES…
NATALIE EHRET, WHO FOUNDED HAVEN WATCH TO SUPPORT PEOPLE RELEASED FROM IMMIGRATION DETENTION…
CAROLINA ORTIZ OF COPAL, WHO HELPED COORDINATE IMMIGRANT-DEFENSE NETWORKS AND RAPID RESPONSE…
AND COLUMBIA HEIGHTS SUPERINTENDENT ZENA STENVIK, WHO SPOKE OUT AFTER STUDENTS WERE DETAINED.
THE KENNEDY LIBRARY FOUNDATION SAYS THE AWARD RECOGNIZES PEOPLE WHO PROTECTED NEIGHBORS AND IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY MEMBERS DURING THE FEDERAL ENFORCEMENT OPERATION.
--WILDFIRE ECONOMIC HELP--
THE FLAMES ARE OUT… BUT RECOVERY IS JUST BEGINNING FOR DOZENS OF NORTHLAND FAMILIES.
LAKE COUNTY SAYS THE STEWART TRAIL FIRE NEAR TWO HARBORS BURNED 355 ACRES AND DESTROYED 34 STRUCTURES…
IN THE BRIMSON AREA ... FAMILIES ARE STILL REBUILDING FROM LAST YEAR’S CAMP HOUSE FIRE ... WHICH BURNED MORE THAN 12-THOUSAND ACRES AND DESTROYED MORE THAN 140 STRUCTURES.
STATE SENATOR GRANT HAUSCHILD SAYS A GRANT OF 350-THOUSAND DOLLARS FROM THE IRON RANGE RESOURCES AND REHABILITATION BOARD WILL HELP FAMILIES AND BUSINESS STAY IN THE AREA.
[SEN. GRANT HAUSCHILD: HAVE GREAT OUTDOORS, WE HAVE GREAT ENVIRONMENT HERE IN NORTHERN MINNESOTA, BUT WITH THAT COMES CHALLENGES WITH FLOODING THAT WE'VE SEEN IN COOK, UH, AND THE WILDFIRES IN OUR REGION. SO, US HAVING EACH OTHER'S BACK AND STEPPING UP IN THESE DIFFICULT MOMENTS IS REALLY]
--IMPORTANT.]--
--BOUNDARY WATERS SEAPLANE RESCUE--
THE COURAGE OF THE PILOTS OF THE U-S AND MINNESOTA FORESTRY WAS ON DISPLAY THIS WEEKEND.
A FATHER AND SON WERE AIRLIFTED OUT OF ONE OF THE MOST REMOTE PARTS OF THE BOUNDARY WATERS AFTER A BACKCOUNTRY DISTRESS CALL.
THE SAINT LOUIS COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE SAYS THE 59-YEAR-OLD DAD AND 17-YEAR-OLD SON FROM KENTUCKY WERE ON THE SOUTHERN EDGE OF LAC LA CROIX FRIDAY.... WHEN THE DAD INJURED HIS BACK.
LAC LA CROIX IS ALONG THE MINNESOTA-CANADA BORDER … ABOUT 30-MILES BY AIR NORTH OF ELY…
THE PILOT FLEW RESCUERS TO THE AREA OF THE DISTRESS SIGNAL AND THEY SUCCESSFULLY AIRLIFTED THE FATHER AND SON BACK TO THE FOREST SERVICE SEAPLANE BASE IN ELY.
THE FATHER WAS TREATED AT THE HOSPITAL AND RELEASED.
--JUNE IS PRIDE--
AND FINALLY … JUNE IS PRIDE MONTH.
L-G-B-T-Q COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE STATE WILL MARK THE MONTH WITH PARADES … FAMILY EVENTS … DRAG BRUNCHES … AND REMEMBERANCES OF THOSE WHO FOUGHT FOR EQUAL RIGHTS.
THE TWIN CITIES PRIDE PARADE WILL BE IS HELD JUNE 28 … COMMEMORTATING THE STONEWALL UPRISING IN NEW YORK CITY IN 1969 … A TURNING POINT IN THE MODERN L-G-B-T-Q RIGHTS MOVEMENT.
FOR NORTH STAR STORIES, I’M XAN HOLSTON.