The legislative session ends, fires rage up north, and the Sugarhill Gang — along with Melle Mel and Scorpio from the Furious Five — will bring a new taste sensation to the State Fair free stages: old school flavor.
Transcript
WITH HEADLINES FROM AROUND THE STATE, I’M XAN HOLSTON.
FROM HIP HOP TO YACHT ROCK … THE STATE FAIR FREE STAGE
BUT FIRST …
--NORTH AREA WILDFIRES --
THE NATIONAL GUARD IS NOW PART OF MINNESOTA’S WILDFIRE RESPONSE… AS CREWS KEEP WORKING FIRE LINES FROM THE IRON RANGE TO ARROWHEAD
GOVERNOR TIM WALZ DECLARED A PEACETIME EMERGENCY FOR FIRES IN LAKE, CROW WING ... AND SAINT LOUIS COUNTIES...
THE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES IS AT LEVEL FOUR OUT OF FIVE ON ITS WILDFIRE RESPONSE SCALE... AFTER 23 WILDFIRES WERE REPORTED WITHIN 24 HOURS OVER THE WEEKEND.
NEAR TWO HARBORS … CREWS ON THE STEWART TRAIL FIRE ARE STRENGTHENING DOZER LINES AND PUTTING OUT HOT SPOTS AROUND HOMES AND OUTBUILDINGS.
LAKE COUNTY SAYS 34 STRUCTURES WERE LOST... INCLUDING EIGHT HOMES ... EVACUATIONS REMAIN IN PLACE AND HIGHWAY 61 IS STILL CLOSED IN THE FIRE AREA.
IN CROW WING COUNTY… THE FLANDERS FIRE NEAR CROSS LAKE IS ABOUT 12-HUNDRED ACRES … WITH EVACUATION AREAS STILL ACTIVE.
CROSS LAKE MAYOR JACKSON PURFEEST SURVEYED BURNED AREAS.. HE SAYS EVEN BLACKENED GROUND CAN STILL HOLD ENOUGH HEAT TO FLARE BACK UP IF WINDS SHIFT.
[CROSS LAKE MAYOR JACKSON PURFEERST: SPOTS LIKE THIS THAT STILL HAVE ENOUGH ENERGY THAT ARE STILL SMOLDERING AND THE EMBERS ARE STILL THERE AND THIS IS WHAT WE’RE WORRIED ABOUT WITH THE WIND KICKING BACK UP AND POTENTIALLY STARTING ANOTHER FIRE. IT’S WHY IT’S SO IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE THESE HOT SPOT WILD LAND CREWS HERE TODAY.]
AND THAT IS WHY OFFICIALS SAY THE FLANDERS FIRE IS STILL NOT CONTAINED... CONTAINMENT DOES NOT JUST MEAN THE BIG FLAMES HAVE MOVED THROUGH... IT MEANS CREWS HAVE TO MOP UP HOT SPOTS ... AND MAKE SURE WIND CANNOT PUSH EMBERS ACROSS THE FIRE LINE..
--PLANE HIT --
AIRCRAFT ARE DROPPING WATER AND RETARDANT... WHILE GROUND CREWS CUT FIRE LINES... CHECK FOR HEAT AND PROTECT STRUCTURES.
THE SAINT LOUIS SHERIFF SAYS ONE PLANE APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN HIT BY A BULLET.
THE AIRCRAFT WAS WORKING A FIRE NEAR ORR FRIDAY… INVESTIGATORS BELIEVE IT WAS SHOT AFTER SCOOPING WATER FROM KJOSTAD LAKE.
THE PILOT LANDED SAFELY IN HIBBING AND WAS NOT HURT.
ANYONE WITH ANY INFORMATION IS ASKED TO CALL 9-1-1.
--HEADHUNTERS IN COURT--
TWO OKLAHOMA BOUNTY HUNTERS CHARGED AFTER CONFRONTATIONS WITH ANTI-ICE-OBSERVERS MADE THEIR FIRST APPEARANCE IN MINNESOTA COURT.
THE TWO WERE CHARGED AFTER PROSECUTORS SAY THEY TRAVELED TO MINNESOTA TO ACT AS BOUNTY HUNTERS … AND POINTED REPLICA OR PEPPER-BALL-STYLE WEAPONS AT BYSTANDERS.
EACH MAN FACES TWO FELONIES FOR THREATS OF VIOLENCE … AND DISPLAYING REPLICA FIREARMS.
THE MEN ARE DUE BACK IN COURT JULY SECOND.
--POLICE SHOOTING VIDEO--
VIRGINIA POLICE RELEASED BODY- AND DASH-CAMERA VIDEO FROM A DEADLY OFFICER SHOOTING ON THE IRON RANGE.
POLICE RESPONDED MAY FIRST TO A REPORT OF A MASKED MAN WALKING DOWN THE STREET AND WAVING WHAT LOOKED LIKE A GUN.
THE MAN IS IDENTIFIED AS 31-YEAR-OLD ETHAN ROY BASCHE OF CHISHOLM..
IN THE VIDEO … ONE OFFICER ORDERS HIM TO PUT HIS HANDS UP … THEN FIRES AS BASCHE RAISES AN OBJECT. BASCHE DIED AT THE HOSPITAL
BUREAU OF CRIMINAL APPREHENSION INVESTIGATORS SAY THE OBJECT WAS A TORCH LIGHTER MADE TO LOOK LIKE A FIREARM..
COURT RECORDS SHOW BASCHE HAD A HISTORY OF MENTAL ILLNESS AND CHEMICAL DEPENDENCY.
THE B-C-A WILL SEND ITS FINDINGS TO THE SAINT LOUIS COUNTY ATTORNEY’S OFFICE.
--LEGISLATIVE LAST DAY UPDATE --
SUNDAY WAS THE FINAL DAY OF THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION …LAWMAKERS USED THE FINAL HOURS TO MOVE SEVERAL MAJOR BILLS ACROSS THE FINISH LINE.
ONE ALLOWS GROCERY STORES TO DONATE EGGS AFTER THE QUALITY ASSURANCE DATE … REPRESENTATIVE JAMIE LONG GAVE THE BILL A PUN-FILLED SENDOFF.
[REP. JAMIE LONG: LET’S JUST WHISK THIS OVER TO THE GOVERNOR AND I KNOW FOR ONE I’M GOING TO BE VOTING “SHELL YES.]
OTHER BILLS ON THEIR WAY TO GOVERNOR TIM WALZ’S DESK … INCLUDE NEW RULES ON SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS FOR KIDS … AND A HIGHER EDUCATION FINANCE BILL …
LAWMAKERS ALSO PASSED A BILL PAYING 4.5 MILLION DOLLARS IN COMPENSATION TO MARVIN HAYNES … WHO SPENT NEARLY 20 YEARS IN PRISON BEFORE HIS MURDER CONVICTION WAS OVERTURNED IN 2023.
AND AFTER BEING HIT HARD BY FEDERAL CUTS … SOME OF MINNESOTA’S SMALLEST RADIO STATIONS … AND THIS PROGRAM … GET A LIFELINE
[REP GINNY KLEVORN: WE HAVE THE AMPERS FUNDING WHICH WILL KEEP OUR PUBLIC, NON-COMMERCIAL RADIO STATIONS VIABLE.]
A PROPOSED CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT ON THE PERMANENT SCHOOL FUND ISN’T ON IT’S WAY TO THE GOVERNOR … BUT WILL GO TO THE VOTERS AS A REFERENDUM IN NOVEMBER.
-- --
--SUGARHILL GANG KICKER--
AND FINALLY …
[NAT: SUGAR HILL GANG: HAVE YOU EVER WENT OVER A FRIEND’S HOUSE TO EAT AND THE FOOD JUST AIN’T NO GOOD…]
BAD FOOD WON’T BE A PROBLEM AT THE GREAT MINNESOTA GET TOGETHER … WHERE IN ADDITION TO THE ALL THE BEST THINGS FRIED ON A STICK … YOU CAN CATCH THE SUGARHILL GANG … WITH MELLE MEL AND SCORPIO FROM THE FURIOUS FIVE … FOR FREE.
URBAN CLASSIC IS COMING WITH A MINNEAPOLIS SOUND RETROSPECTIVE … AND FOR YOUR EASY LISTENING PLEASURE … YACHT ROCK REVUE WILL BRING THE SMOOTH 70S VIBE.
AND WHILE YOU’RE AT THE FAIR ... BE SURE TO STOP BY OUR AMPERS RADIO BOOTH IN THE EDUCATION BUILDING.
AMPERS PRODUCES NORTHSTAR STORIES ... AND REPRESENTS AND SUPPORTS 17 INDEPENDENT NON-COMMERCIAL COMMUNITY RADIO STATIONS THROUGHOUT MINNESOTA.
FOR NORTH STAR STORIES, I’M XAN HOLSTON.