A U.S. Forest Service facility in Grand Rapids won’t close, “Spider Man” claims self defense in assault case, and the state fair ends.
Transcript
WITH HEADLINES FROM AROUND THE STATE, I’M XAN HOLSTON.
--COLD OPEN --
COMING UP …
[GOAT JUDGE: WE STARTED OUT WITH OUR JUNIOR KID … JUST TREMENDOUS …]
WHETHER COMPTETITORS HAVE FOUR LEGS OR TWO … THE FAIR’S FINAL DAYS OFFER AMATEUR TALENT A LAST CHANCE TO TAKE HOME A RIBBON.
BUT FIRST …
--GRAND RAPIDS RESEARCH STATION – INTRO --
A LAST-MINUTE FEDERAL POLICY REVERSAL IS SAVING ONE OF THE STATE’S MOST IMPORTANT RESEARCH STATIONS FROM THE CHOPPING BLOCK.
[AMPERS MEMBER STATION K-A-X-E'S EMMA KRAB HAS MORE: ]
--GRAND RAPIDS RESEARCH STATION – KAXE PACKAGE--
[THE U.S. FOREST SERVICE RESEARCH LAB IN GRAND RAPIDS WILL REMAIN OPEN AFTER THE AGENCY WALKED BACK SOME OF ITS LARGE-SCALE REORGANIZATION PLANS ORIGINALLY ANNOUNCED LAST MARCH.
IN A NEWS RELEASE THURSDAY, THE U.S. FOREST SERVICE ANNOUNCED IT COMPLETED A NATIONAL REVIEW OF REGIONAL OFFICES AND LABS, AND THAT IT WOULD RETAIN 61 OFFICES NATIONWIDE. OF THOSE RETAINED OFFICES, 41 WERE TOLD BACK IN MARCH THEY WOULD BE CLOSING.
THIS INCLUDES THE RESEARCH LAB IN GRAND RAPIDS, WHICH IS LOCATED ON THE MINNESOTA NORTH COLLEGE ITASCA CAMPUS.
THE 65-YEAR-OLD OFFICE HAS PRODUCED WORLD-RENOWNED RESEARCH ON FORESTS AND WATER. IT'S KNOWN FOR DEVELOPING THE CONCEPT OF ECOLOGICAL FORESTRY AND THE EXPLORATION OF HOW DIFFERENT KINDS OF WETLANDS FUNCTION.
SCIENTISTS WORKING IN THE GRAND RAPIDS OFFICE HAVE MADE SIGNIFICANT DISCOVERIES ABOUT CARBON EMISSIONS, MERCURY, AND OTHER POLLUTANTS, AND THE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE.
EMMA KRAB, KAXE NEWS.]
--JULY LIGHTNING EVENT WILDFIRE CREWS LEAVING --
AFTER TWO MONTHS BATTLING WILDFIRES ACROSS NORTHEASTERN MINNESOTA... MOST SPARKED BY LIGHTENING AND FED BY DROUGHT...
THE NATIONAL MANAGEMENT TEAM IS ENDING ITS ASSIGNMENT IN THE SUPERIOR NATIONAL FOREST AND RETURNING CONTROL TO LOCAL FIRE MANAGERS.
15 FIRES BURNED MORE THAN 62-THOUSAND ACRES SINCE JULY…
THE LATEST FOREST SERVICE REPORT SAYS THE THREE REMAINING MAJOR FIRES ARE 97-PERCENT CONTAINED.
--LOW WATER / DROUGHT IMPACTS--
WITH LABOR DAY TYPICALLY ONE OF SUMMER’S LAST BIG BOATING WEEKENDS … THE D-N-R WARNS DROUGHT-LOWERED LAKE LEVELS COULD MAKE IT HARDER TO GET BOATS IN ... AND BACK OUT.
SHALLOW RAMPS MAY HAVE EXPOSED ROCKS … STUMPS … HOLES OR DROP-OFFS.
FORTY-EIGHT PERCENT OF MINNESOTA IS IN SEVERE DROUGHT … AND FIVE PERCENT IS IN EXTREME DROUGHT.
AT NETT LAKE … WEEKEND STORMS ALSO FORCED BOIS FORTE TO CANCEL SATURDAY’S LIMITED WILD-RICE HARVEST.
THE LAKE REMAINS CLOSED PENDING ANOTHER INSPECTION.
A FEDERAL DROUGHT-DISASTER DESIGNATION NOW OPENS EMERGENCY LOANS IN KOOCHICHING AND FOUR SURROUNDING NORTHERN COUNTIES.
FARMERS SAY THE HELP MATTERS … BUT IS NOT ENOUGH TO FIX THE PROBLEMS.
[RACHEL GRAY: DISASTER RECOVERY IS KIND OF A BAND-AID. IT NEVER WILL MAKE YOU WHOLE.]
FARMERS ARE ALSO DEALING WITH RECORD HIGH DIESEL AT FIVE-DOLLARS-AND-77-CENTS A GALLON … RAISING THE COST OF RUNNING FARM EQUIPMENT AND HAULING FOOD TO STORES BY AN EXTRA ONE-HUNDRED-MILLION-DOLLARS THIS YEAR.
WHEN FARMERS … TRUCKERS AND RETAILERS CANNOT ABSORB THOSE COSTS … FAMILIES CAN PAY MORE AT THE GROCERY CHECKOUT.
AND.. THIS LABOR DAY WEEKEND SET ANOTHER RECORD... FOR THE HIGH-COST OF REGULAR UNLEADED ... AVERAGING ABOUT THREE-DOLLARS-AND-97-CENTS A GALLON.
[MUSIC TRANSITION]
--EICHHORN SENTENCE--
FEDERAL PROSECUTORS WANT A JUDGE TO SENTENCE FORMER GRAND RAPIDS STATE SENATOR JUSTIN EICHHORN TO FIVE YEARS IN PRISON.
HE PLEADED GUILTY TO ATTEMPTED POSSESSION OF CHILD SEXUAL-ABUSE MATERIAL.
SENTENCING IS SEPTEMBER 23RD.
--SPIDERMAN CHARGES--
THE MAN DRESSED AS SPIDER-MAN DURING LAST MONTH’S CLASH INVOLVING RIGHT-WING INFLUENCER JAKE LANG HAS PLEADED *NOT GUILTY TO MISDEMEANOR ASSAULT.
OFFICERS ARRESTED WILLIAM NICHOLAS LOVE AFTER HE JUMPED ONTO A TRUCK OUTSIDE MINNEAPOLIS CITY HALL AND STARTED THROWING PUNCHES.
LOVE SAYS HE ACTED IN SELF-DEFENSE … AFTER LANG’S GROUP DROVE THE TRUCK ONTO THE SIDEWALK TOWARD COUNTER-PROTESTERS.
HE RETURNS TO COURT NOVEMBER 19TH.
--NEW SCHOOL BUS LAW --
[NAT: BUS PULLS UP OR OFF]
WITH MOST MINNESOTA STUDENTS HEADING BACK TO SCHOOL TOMORROW … DRIVERS HAVE A NEW SCHOOL BUS LAW TO REMEMBER.
YOU MUST STOP AT LEAST 20 FEET FROM A STOPPED BUS AS SOON AS ITS RED LIGHTS BEGIN FLASHING … EVEN IF THE STOP ARM DOES NOT EXTEND.
THE ONLY EXCEPTION IS TRAFFIC MOVING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION ON A DIVIDED HIGHWAY.
A VIOLATION CARRIES A FINE OF AT LEAST 500 DOLLARS … AND POSSIBLE LICENSE SUSPENSION.
--STATE FAIR FINAL DAY--
AND FINALLY …
[4H MUSICAL PLAYING BILLY JOEL’S “MOVING OUT”]
TODAY’S THE LAST DAY … AND... AS THE 4-H MUSICAL REMINDS US...THE GREAT MINNESOTA GET-TOGETHER IS MOVING ON … AND MOVING OUT.
AMATEUR PERFORMERS TOOK THEIR FINAL SHOT A STARDOM AT THE GRANDSTAND LAST NIGHT DURING THE AMATEUR TALENT SHOW … WHILE FOUR-LEGGED FRIENDS FACED FINAL JUDGMENTS AS TO HOW THE GOAT IS.
TONIGHT …THERE’S STILL ONE LAST CHANCE TO TAKE A MIDWAY RIDE … FLY DOWN THE GIANT SLIDE … OR EAT SOMETHING ON A STICK THAT’S FRIED
FOR NORTH STAR STORIES … I’M XAN HOLSTON.