The Bois Forte Band of Chippewa live streams its election count, Mesabi Metallics gets closer to opening, and a bomb threat interrupts attempts to smell a flower that reeks like rotting flesh.
Transcript
WITH HEADLINES FROM AROUND THE STATE, I’M XAN HOLSTON.
--FIRE UPDATES--
THREE LIGHTNING-SPARKED WILDFIRES HAVE FLARED UP IN MINNESOTA'S BOUNDARY WATERS CANOE AREA WILDERNESS ... KEEPING FIRE CREWS AND AIRCRAFT BUSY ALONG THE CANADIAN BORDER.
THE LARGEST IS THE LOON FIRE ... EAST OF CRANE LAKE ... ESTIMATED AT ABOUT TEN ACRES... HELICOPTERS HAVE BEEN MAKING WATER DROPS TO CONTAIN THE FLAMES..
THE TIGER FIRE … ON THE EAST END OF LAC LA CROIX … IS NOW FULLY CONTAINED AT ABOUT ONE ACRE.
A THIRD FIRE … THE BUCK FIRE JUST WEST OF THE RECENTLY CONTAINED BIRCH BAY FIRE … IS ONLY ABOUT A QUARTER ACRE AND IS BEING MONITORED FROM THE AIR.
THERE ARE NO B-W-C-A CLOSURES RIGHT NOW … BUT SOME CAMPSITES NEAR THE FIRES COULD BE TEMPORARILY CLOSED … AND THAT WOOD AND CHARCOAL FIRES ARE BANNED UNTIL THE END OF THE MONTH.
--DOJ MISSES EVIDENCE DEADLINE--
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS STILL BLOCKING ACCESS TO EVIDENCE IN THREE SHOOTINGS DURING OPERATION METRO SURGE … INCLUDING THE KILLINGS OF RENEE GOOD AND ALEX PRETTI … AND THE NON-FATAL SHOOTING OF JULIO SOSA-CELIS.
HENNEPIN COUNTY ATTORNEY MARY MORIARITY SAYS HER OFFICE ISSUED TOUHY DEMANDS EARLIER THIS YEAR … A FORMAL PROCESS FOR ASKING A FEDERAL AGENCY TO TURN OVER RECORDS OR TESTIMONY.
[HCAO MARY MORIARTY: THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS ABSOLUTE IMMUNITY FOR FEDERAL OFFICERS WHO COMMIT CRIMES IN THIS STATE OR ANY OTHER.]
MORIARTY SAYS THE GOVERNMENT HAS NOW FILED WRITTEN RESPONSES … THAT SAY THE AGENCIES WILL NOT HAND OVER EVIDENCE.
MORIARTY SAYS HER OFFICE WILL RESPOND IN COURT BY JUNE 18TH.
--COLUMBIA HEIGHTS FLOCK CAMERAS--
AFTER COMMUNITY PUSHBACK … COLUMBIA HEIGHTS IS REMOVING ITS FLOCK LICENSE PLATE READER CAMERAS.
THE CITY COUNCIL VOTED TO CANCEL ITS CONTRACT WITH FLOCK SAFETY … AND REMOVE 12 CITY-OWNED FLOCK CAMERAS.
[COUNCIL MEMBER RACHEL JAMES: THANK YOU TO THE RESIDENTS WHO CAME AND PACKED THE CHAMBERS, PACKED OUR INBOXES, AND CONNECTED WITH US THE LAST MONTH AND A HALF AS WE HAVE BEEN WORKING THROUGH AUTOMATIC LICENSE PLATE READERS HERE IN OUR CITY.]
THE CAMERAS ARE USED BY MORE THAN FIVE-THOUSAND LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES AND SIX-THOUSAND-COMMUNITIES AROUND THE COUNTRY.
POLICE TO SCAN PLATES AND FLAG VEHICLES CONNECTED TO CRIMES … BUT RESIDENTS RAISED CONCERNS ABOUT WHAT AGENCIES OR GOVERNMENT BRANCHES COULD HAVE ACCESS TO PRIVATE INFORMATION... TRAVEL HABITS AND … DATA SHARING …
THE MOVE COMES AS MORE CITIES AROUND THE COUNTRY ARE RECONSIDERING FLOCK CAMERAS OVER SURVEILLANCE AND CIVIL LIBERTIES CONCERNS.
--MESABI METALLICS HIRING--
A LONG-DELAYED IRON RANGE MINE PROJECT IS NOW HIRING! … A SIGN MESABI METALLICS IS MOVING FROM PLANNING TO PRODUCTION.
THE COMPANY SAYS IT’S LAUNCHING A MAJOR HIRING PUSH FOR ITS NASHWAUK PLANT … AND LOOKING TO FILL 200 JOBS.
THE TWO-POINT-FIVE-BILLION-DOLLAR IRON ORE PROJECT HAS BEEN YEARS IN THE MAKING … BUT PLAUGED BY DELAYS … BANKRUPTCY … AND CHANGES IN OWNERSHIP.
THE PLANT WILL MAKE HIGH-GRADE PELLETS FOR ELECTRIC ARC FURNACE STEELMAKERS … THE COMPANY SAYS IT’S PART OF A BROADER PUSH TO BUILD A STRONGER DOMESTIC STEEL SUPPLY CHAIN.
THE EMPLOYMENT GROWTH COMES AFTER HUNDREDS OF WORKERS HAVE BEEN LAID OFF OVER THE PAST YEAR FROM OTHER IRON RANGE MINES … INCLUDING HIBBING TACONITE AND MINORCA.
--ROSEAU AIRPORT--
A MAJOR CONSTRUCTION PROJECT IS TEMPORARILY SHUTTING DOWN ONE OF FAR NORTHWEST MINNESOTA'S MOST IMPORTANT RURAL AIRPORTS.
THE ROSEAU MUNICIPAL AIRPORT IS NOW CLOSED TO ALL AIRCRAFT AS RUNWAY RECONSTRUCTION MOVES INTO ITS NEXT PHASE.
THE AIRPORT SERVES BUSINESS AVIATION ... GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS ... AND MEDICAL FLIGHTS IN ONE OF THE MOST REMOTE PARTS OF THE STATE.
THE AIRPORT ALSO SERVES AIR AMBULANCE OPERATIONS ... MAKING THE PROJECT'S COMPLETION CRITICAL FOR THE REGION'S LONG-TERM TRANSPORTATION AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE NEEDS.
--COMO ZOO THREAT--
A SATURDAY AFTERNOON AT COMO ZOO AND CONSERVATORY TURNED INTO THE LATEST STOP IN A DISTURBING NATIONAL PATTERN.
BOTH WERE EVACUATED AFTER STAFF REPORTED A BOMB THREAT.
THE EVACUATION CAME AS HUNDREDS OF VISITORS WERE FLOCKING TO SEE COMO'S CORPSE FLOWER ... A MASSIVE TROPICAL PLANT KNOWN FOR SMELLING LIKE ROTTING FLESH.
ST. PAUL POLICE SEARCHED THE GROUNDS ... SECURED THE ANIMALS ... AND FOUND NO THREAT.
THE ZOO REOPENED SUNDAY... THE RARE FLOWER TYPICALLY BLOOMS FOR ONLY 24 TO 48 HOURS ...
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS REPORTS AT LEAST SEVEN OTHER ZOOS AROUND THE COUNTRY HAVE FACED SIMILAR HOAX OR “SWATTING” THREATS IN RECENT WEEKS ... INCLUDING BOMB THREATS AND FALSE ACTIVE-SHOOTER REPORTS.
--BOIS FORTE ELECTION--
AND FINALLY …
IT’S ELECTION DAY FOR MEMBERS OF THE BOIS FORTE BAND OF CHIPPEWA IN NORTHEASTERN MINNESOTA.
POLLS ARE OPEN UNTIL EIGHT TONIGHT FOR THE TRIBE'S GENERAL ELECTION.
AND IN A MOVE DESIGNED TO BOOST TRANSPARENCY ... THE BAND WILL AGAIN LET THE PUBLIC WATCH THE BALLOT COUNTING... LIVE ONLINE!
BOIS FORTE SAYS LIVE COVERAGE OF THE COUNT BEGINS JUST AFTER POLLS CLOSE... STARTING WITH THE MINNEAPOLIS URBAN DISTRICT ... FOLLOWED BY DULUTH ... VERMILION ... AND NETT LAKE.
FOR NORTH STAR STORIES, I’M XAN HOLSTON.