Crews get fires up north under control, last-minute legacy funding for habitat restoration, and the Hennepin County Attorney files charges against a second ICE agent.
Transcript
WITH HEADLINES FROM AROUND THE STATE, I’M XAN HOLSTON.
--ICE AGENT CHARGED--
AN ICE AGENT ACCUSED OF SHOOTING A MAN THROUGH THE CLOSED FRONT DOOR OF HIS HOME NOW FACES FELONY CHARGES.
HENNEPIN COUNTY ATTORNEY MARY MORIARTY SAYS ICE AGENT CRISTIAN CASTRO LIED ABOUT THE SERIES OF EVENTS LEADING UP TO HIM SHOOTING AND WOUNDING JULIO SOSA-CELIS BACK IN JANUARY.
THE U-S ATTORNEY OFFICE DROPPED ITS CASE AGAINST SOSA-CELIS.
CASTRO FACES FOUR FELONY COUNTS OF SECOND-DEGREE ASSAULT … AND FILING A FALSE REPORT.
MORIARTY SAYS SOSA-CELIS WAS IN THE U-S LAWFULLY … WASN’T WHO ICE WAS LOOKING FOR … AND WAS INSIDE THE HOME WITH THREE OTHER ADULTS AND TWO CHILDREN WHEN CASTRO SHOT HIM THROUGH THE DOOR.
[HENNEPIN COUNTY ATTORNEY MARY MORAIARTY: MR. CASTRO IS AN ICE AGENT, BUT HIS FEDERAL BADGE DOES NOT MAKE HIM IMMUNE FROM STATE CHARGES FOR HIS CRIMINAL CONDUCT IN MINNESOTA.]
CASTRO IS THE SECOND ICE AGENT CHARGED BY THE HENNEPIN COUNTY ATTORNEY IN CONNECTION WITH OPERATION METRO SURGE … THE FIRST WAS CHARGED IN APRIL FOR WAVING A GUN AT PEOPLE ON THE FREEWAY FROM AN UNMARKED CAR.
BOTH AGENTS HAVE ACTIVE WARRANTS FOR THEIR ARREST.
--STEWART TRAIL FIRE UPDATE--
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THE MINNESOTA NATIONAL GUARD... DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES... AND LOCAL FIREFIGHTING CREWS ARE MAKING PROGRESS BATTLING MULTIPLE WILDFIRES ACROSS NORTHERN MINNESOTA.
THE TWO BIGGEST FIRES... THE STEWART TRAIL FIRE NEAR TWO HARBORS AND THE FLANDERS FIRE IN CROW WING COUNTY... BOTH STARTED OVER THE WEEKEND AND TOGETHER BURNED MORE THAN TWO-THOUSAND ACRES AS OF MONDAY.
CREWS CONTINUE MOPPING UP HOT SPOTS AND STRENGTHENING FIRE LINES IN THE ARROWHEAD … WHERE OFFICIALS NOW SAY A POWER LINE STARTED THE STEWART TRAIL FIRE NORTH OF TWO HARBORS. IT REMAINED AT 355-ACRES AND WAS 62 PERCENT CONTAINED AS OF MONDAY EVENING..
--FLANDERS FIRE UPDATE--
IN CROW WING COUNTY... THE FLANDERS WILDFIRE IS STILL BURNING... BUT OFFICIALS ARE OPTIMISTIC THEY’RE GETTING IT UNDER CONTROL.
OFFICIALS SAY THE FLANDERS FIRE GREW TO MORE THAN 16-HUNDRED ACRES … AND 20-PERCENT CONTAINED AS OF MONDAY.
CROSSLAKE MAYOR JACKSON PURFEERST SAYS THE STATE’S AERIAL RESPONSE SLOWED THE FIRE FROM SPREADING MORE.
[JACKSON PURFEERST: IT WAS TOO DANGEROUS TO GET GROUND CREWS IN THERE, AND THIS IS THE ONLY REASON WHY WE ARE ABLE TO GET A HANDLE AND A SPECIAL START TO GET AHEAD OF THIS FIRE — WAS WITH THE SINGLE ENGINE SCOOPERS.]
--SUSPECT ARRESTED--
WILDFIRE RESPONSE IN THE NORTHLAND HAS ALSO TURNED INTO A CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION … THE SAINT LOUIS COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE ARRESTED A MAN FOR SHOOTING A FIREBOMBER PLANE WHILE IT SCOOPED UP WATER FROM LAKE KJOSTAD FRIDAY EVENING.
AUTHORITIES ARRESTED 48-YEAR-OLD DANIEL CHRISTIAN PETTIT SUNDAY NIGHT AT HIS HOME NEAR ORR IN PORTAGE TOWNSHIP.
HE FACES FELONY CHARGES FOR RECKLESS DISCHARGE OF A FIREARM … SECOND-DEGREE ASSAULT … AND DAMAGE TO PROPERTY.
THE PILOT LANDED SAFELY AND WAS NOT HURT.
--OUTDOOR LEGACY FUND--
WHILE FIRES DAMAGE LAND UP NORTH … A BILL PASSED ON THE FINAL DAY OF THE LEGISLATURE WILL HELP RESTORE AND PROTECT NEARLY 69-THOUSAND ACRES OF MINNESOTA HABITAT.
THE 191-MILLION-DOLLAR LEGACY PACKAGE SUPPORTS 53 PROJECTS THROUGH THE STATE’S OUTDOOR HERITAGE FUND.
THAT INCLUDES PRAIRIE CHICKEN AND TROUT STREAM PROTECTION … WETLAND AND FOREST RESTORATION … INVASIVE CARP PREVENTION … AND NEW ACCESS TO CONSERVATION GRANTS FOR MORE URBAN AND SUBURBAN COMMUNITIES.
D-F-L REPRESENTATIVE SAMANTHA VANG SAYS THE INVESTMENT IS MEANT TO LAST.
[REP. SAMANTHA VANG: IT IS REALLY, TRULY A LEGACY FOR OUR NEXT GENERATION OF KIDS AND FARMERS AND THE PUBLIC.]
--CHANHASSEN DINNER THEATRE--
IN CARVER COUNTY... THE CHANHASSEN DINNER THEATER SAYS IT IS DEALING WITH TWO PROBLEMS AT ONCE … A COMPUTER NETWORK ATTACK AND A CAST ILLNESS.
THE THEATER SAYS IT TOOK COMPUTER SYSTEMS OFFLINE AFTER DETECTING AN ATTACK ON PART OF ITS NETWORK… AND SOME UPCOMING PERFORMANCES AND SERVICES MAY BE RESCHEDULED.
THE THEATRE SAYS IT HAD TROUBLE PROCESSING CREDIT CARDS... AND WILL CONTACT AFFECTED TICKET-HOLDERS DIRECTLY.
THE THEATER WEBSITE AND SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS ALSO SAY SEVERAL ‘GUYS AND DOLLS’ SHOWS WERE CANCELLED BECAUSE OF THE CAST ILLNESS.
IN REPLIES TO THE THEATER’S FACEBOOK POSTS … SOME GUESTS ALSO SAID THEY GOT SICK AFTER ATTENDING A SHOW.
THE THEATER SAYS IT IS IN CONTACT WITH THE MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND THE ILLNESS APPEARS CONSISTENT WITH NOROVIRUS.
--LATINO LIVES DOCUMENTARY--
AND FINALLY...-- --
A NEW MINNESOTA DOCUMENTARY IS TELLING A DIFFERENT STORY ABOUT LATINO LIFE IN THE STATE… ONE CENTERED ON JOY, LEADERSHIP AND BELONGING.
“NUESTRO NORTE”… OR “OUR NORTH”… PROFILES FIVE LATINE COMMUNITY LEADERS FROM THE METRO AND GREATER MINNESOTA… THROUGH PERSONAL STORIES, SYMBOLIC SCENES AND ORIGINAL MUSIC.
DIRECTOR MARTÍN BLANCO IS A VENEZUELAN-BORN, MINNESOTA-RAISED FILMMAKER WHOSE WORK OFTEN EXPLORES MEMORY, MIGRATION AND IDENTITY.
[MARTIN BLANCO: I THINK THE FILM IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPERIENCE THE JOY THAT WE’VE BEEN LACKING… AND TO EXPERIENCE A STRONG SENSE OF DIGNITY AND BELONGING IN THIS LANDSCAPE.]
A COMMUNITY SCREENING TOMORROW NIGHT AT THE HEIGHTS THEATER IN COLUMBIA HEIGHTS IS SOLD OUT… BUT CHECK THE MINNESOTA HUMANITIES CENTER WEBSITE FOR MORE INFORMATION…
THANKS TO PUBLIC NEWS SERVICE FOR CONTRIBUTING TO THIS REPORT…
FOR NORTH STAR STORIES … I’M XAN HOLSTON.