Southeast Minnesota faces grain elevator closures, a kidnapping suspect faces federal charges, and it’s what would have been Prince’s 68th birthday this Sunday — 10 years after his death.
Transcript
WITH HEADLINES FROM AROUND THE STATE, I’M XAN HOLSTON.
COMING UP …
IT’S PRINCE WEEK IN MINNESOTA … BUT FIRST
--CHS TO SHUT DOWN ELEVATORS--
MINNESOTA IS ONE OF THE COUNTRY’S BIGGEST CORN AND SOYBEAN STATES.. BUT THE BUSINESS OF MOVING THAT GRAIN IS GETTING BIGGER.. FASTER... MORE CENTRALIZED.
THE NATION’S LARGEST FARMER COOPERATIVE… MINNESOTA-BASED C-H-S … PLANS TO CLOSE OR SELL THREE GRAIN ELEVATORS IN SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA AFTER THIS YEAR’S HARVEST.
THIS MEANS... ALREADY-FINANCIALLY STRAINED FARMERS MAY HAVE TO HAUL THEIR CORN AND SOYBEANS FARTHER NEXT YEAR …
ROCHESTER’S POST BULLETIN BUSINESS REPORTER JEFF KIGER SAYS C-H-S SENT EMPLOYEES AN EMAIL FRIDAY … SAYING IT WILL STOP OPERATING IN KASSON … OSTRANDER … AND WYKOFF.
[JEFF KIGER: THEY’LL BE CLOSING THEM BUT THEY WILL ALSO BE OFFERING THEM FOR SALE, SO THEY COULD RE-OPEN OR COULD BE PURCHASED BY OTHER COMPANIES, BUT THEY SAID THEY WERE NO LONGER VIABLE FOR THEM.]
IN A STATEMENT TO NORTH STAR STORIES … C-H-S SAYS SMALLER ELEVATORS LIKE THOSE THREE HAVE SERVED THE COMPANY WELL … BUT THE SOUTHERN MINNESOTA GRAIN MARKET HAS CHANGED.
THE CO-OP SAYS IT HAS MADE MAJOR RECENT INVESTMENTS IN MANKATO AND FAIRMONT … AND MORE FARMERS ARE DELIVERING TO LARGER FACILITIES.
THE THREE ELEVATORS WILL KEEP OPERATING THROUGH THE FALL 2026 HARVEST … AND IT WILL CONTINUE BUYING GRAIN FOR DELIVERY TO PROCESSING AND RIVER FACILITIES.
C-H-S DECLINED TO COMMENT ON HOW MANY EMPLOYEES MIGHT BE AFFECTED.
--OTTER TAIL RATE INCREASE--
OTTER TAIL POWER CUSTOMERS GET A CHANCE TO WEIGH IN ON A PROPOSED ELECTRIC RATE HIKE.
THE UTILITY WANTS STATE REGULATORS TO APPROVE AN 18-PERCENT TOTAL RATE INCREASE. THAT WOULD ADD ABOUT 20-DOLLARS A MONTH TO A TYPICAL HOUSEHOLD BILL.
MORE THAN 60,000 CUSTOMERS IN WESTERN MINNESOTA HAVE OTTER TAIL POWER... GIVING THE UTILITY A NEARLY 45-MILLION-DOLLAR REVENUE INCREASE.
THE MINNESOTA PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION ALLOWED AN INTERIM ELEVEN-PERCENT INCREASE LAST YEAR ... WHILE IT CONSIDERS THE FULL REQUEST.
OTTER TAIL SAYS IT NEEDS MONEY TO MODERNIZE THE GRID ... AND COVER RISING OPERATING COSTS.
PUBLIC HEARINGS START TONIGHT IN BEMIDJI … CONTINUE WEDNESDAY IN FERGUS FALLS AND APPLETON … AND MOVE ONLINE THURSDAY.
THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD RUNS THROUGH-- --AUGUST 10TH …
--KIDNAPPING SUSPECT--
A MAN FROM INTERNATIONAL FALLS ACCUSED OF KIDNAPPING A CHILD FROM CENTRAL MINNESOTA, AND DRIVING HER TO THE IOWA BORDER NOW FACES FEDERAL CHARGES.
FEDERAL PROSECUTORS SAY JOSEPH ANDREW BRAGG WAS INDICTED IN THE JANUARY ABDUCTION... AFTER INVESTIGATORS TRACKED HIS PHONE AND A RENTAL VEHICLE SOUTH ON I-35.
THEY SAY BRAGG TOOK THE GIRL AFTER SHE GOT OFF THE SCHOOL BUS IN ZIMMERMAN...
ALBERT LEA POLICE STOPPED HIM JUST AFTER MIDNIGHT ABOUT TEN MILES FROM IOWA.
THE GIRL WAS FOUND IN THE BACKSEAT... PARTIALLY COVERED BY A SUITCASE.
BRAGG IS ALSO ACCUSED OF CHILD-SEXUAL-ABUSE-MATERIAL CRIMES INVOLVING ANOTHER MINOR.
INVESTIGATORS SAY THERE MAY BE MORE VICTIMS.
--SAUK CENTRE FIRE – POLICE STAFFING--
A DOWNTOWN FIRE IN SAUK CENTRE IS NOW PART OF A BIGGER PUBLIC-SAFETY AND BUDGET DEBATE AT CITY HALL.
SAUK CENTRE IS A CITY OF ABOUT 46-HUNDRED RESIDENTS SITS IN STEARNS COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA … A GROWING COUNTY OF MORE THAN 164-THOUSAND... WHERE NEW HOUSING... CAPITAL BUDGETS.. AND PUBLIC SAFETY ARE STRAINING CITY BUDGETS.
POLICE SAY AN OFFICER ON ROUTINE PATROL SPOTTED SMOKE AND FLAMES JUST BEFORE MIDNIGHT MAY 11TH… CALLED FOR HELP… THEN RAN INSIDE THE BURNING BUILDING TO HELP EVACUATE FIVE SECOND-FLOOR APARTMENTS.
NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED... BUT THREE BUSINESSES WERE SIGNIFICANTLY DAMAGED... INCLUDING EL MEZCAL MEXICAN RESTAURANT.
THE CAUSE REMAINS UNDER INVESTIGATION.
AT THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING... CHIEF JOE JENSEN SAID THE FIRE SHOWS WHY TWO-OFFICER RESPONSE MATTERS.
[CHIEF JOE JENSEN: PRIME EXAMPLE LAST WEEK WITH THE FIRE: I HAD TWO OFFICERS RUNNING A BURNING BUILDING. IF I HAVE ONE OFFICER RUNNING THE BURNING BUILDING AND ALL OF THE SUDDEN HE'S NOT COMING OUT OR SOMETHING GOES SOUTH … HE DOESN'T HAVE A PARTNER TO BACK HIM UP.]
COUNCIL MEMBERS GAVE GENERAL CONSENT TO BEGIN RECRUITING FOR AN OFFICER.
AND... THE SAUK CENTRE CHAMBER AND AREA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION HAVE STARTED A LOCAL RESPONSE FUND FOR THE FIRE VICTIMS AND BUSINESSES.
A SEPARATE GOFUNDME IS ALSO HELPING EL MEZCAL’S OWNERS AND STAFF... AFTER THE RESTAURANT HAD ALREADY BEEN STRUGGLING WHILE OWNER PEDRO RECOVERED FROM SURGERY.
--FREE BUS RIDES – SAINT CLOUD--
KIDS IN THE SAINT CLOUD AREA CAN RIDE THE BUS FOR FREE THIS SUMMER.
METRO BUS IS BRINGING BACK ITS U-GO FREE YOUTH PROGRAM... WITH FREE UNLIMITED FIXED-ROUTE RIDES THROUGH AUGUST 31ST.
THE PROGRAM IS OPEN TO YOUTH 17 AND YOUNGER WITH A VALID I-D... INCLUDING SCHOOL I-D ... DIGITAL I-D OR A METRO BUS CARD.
TRANSIT OFFICIALS SAY ITELPS KIDS GET HELPS KIDS OUT OF THE HOUSE ... TO PARKS...JOBS... PROGRAMS... AND SUMMER ACTIVITIES... WITHOUT NEEDING A RIDE EVERY TIME.
--PRINCE WEEK--
AND FINALLY …
[PRINCE: DEARLY BELOVED…]
THIS WEEK WE GATHER HERE THIS WEEK FOR THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION OF LIFE FOR THE PURPLE ONE … PRINCE ROGERS NELSON … WHO WOULD HAVE TURNED 68 THIS SUNDAY.
POP OUT TO PAISLEY PARK … TAKE IN RARE PHOTO EXHIBITS … GO ON A WALKING TOUR OF PRINCE’S STOMPING GROUNDS … OH, AND HEAR LOTS OF MUSIC … KICKING OFF WEDNESDAY AT FIRST AVENUE WITH CHAKA KHAN.
AND IF YOU DON’T WANT TO SPLURGE ON TICKETS … CHECK OUT THE ‘FREE’ DOWNTOWN MINNEAPOLIS BLOCK PARTY SINGALONG SATURDAY … LEAD BY SANFORD MOORE … AND CEELO GREEN.
FOR NORTH STAR STORIES … LET’S GO CRAZY.