Fires break out across the state, a state and tribal partnership monitors moose populations over the winter, and Minnesota takes a rare approach to fighting illegal drug sales.
Transcript
WITH HEADLINES FROM AROUND THE STATE, I’M XAN HOLSTON.
FIRES BREAKOUT IN MULTIPLE LOCATIONS ACROSS MINNESOTA …
AND... A STATE AND TRIBAL PARTNERSHIP FINISHES ITS FIRST WINTER MONITORING MOOSE POPULATIONS …
[MICHELLE CARSTENSEN, MN DNR: WHILE THAT’S A GOOD THING THAT IT’S NOT FURTHER DECLINING … IT’S ALSO NOT GROWING.]
BUT FIRST … A LOOK AT A RARE APPROACH TO FIGHTING ILLEGAL DRUG SALES...
A PINE CITY MAN IS FACING MULTIPLE FELONY CRIMINAL TAX CRIME CHARGES FOR NOT PAYING MILLIONS IN TAXES ON SALES FROM HIS ILLEGAL CANNABIS RETAIL OPERATION ... ACCORDING TO THE PINE COUNTY ATTORNEY...
THE TAX-EVASION CASE ALL STARTED WITH A CALL TO THE TIPLINE.
PINE COUNTY PROSECUTORS SAY ALAN MOSIO WAS OPERATING THE UNLICENSED — DECA AL — CANNABIS RETAIL STORE ... AND SELLING ILLEGAL MARIJUANA OUT OF HIS HOME IN PINE CITY...
MOSIO WAS ARRESTED AND CHARGED IN JANUARY WITH DRUG POSSESSION AND UNLAWFUL CULTIVATION…
NOW... MOSIO FACES TWO ADDITIONAL FELONY CRIMINAL CHARGES FOR FAILING TO FILE OR PAY SALES TAX ON HIS REVENUE... .
DIRECTOR OF THE MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE’S CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION DIVISION, MELANIE LESLIE, SAYS MOSIO’S PAPER-TRAIL SHOWS HE OWES ONE-POINT-NINE-MILLION-DOLLARS IN TAXES .
[MELANIE LESLIE: IT’S DEFINITELY A LARGE AMOUNT, DOESN’T HAPPEN VERY OFTEN, AND THIS IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE FIRST ONES WE’VE DONE WHERE IT’S INVOLVED ILLEGAL CANNABIS.]
EACH TAX-RELATED FELONY CHARGE CARRIES A MAXIMUM PENALTY OF FIVE YEARS IN PRISON AND A TEN-THOUSAND-DOLLAR-FINE.
[MUSIC TRANSITION : 03]
--ST CLOUD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL FIRE--
IN SAINT CLOUD ... ALL STUDENTS AND STAFF MADE IT HOME SAFELY AFTER A FIRE BROKE OUT AT WESTWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TUESDAY MORNING.
THE CAUSE IS STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION ... EVERYONE EVACUATED TO A NEARBY CHURCH ... WHERE STUDENTS REUNITED WITH THEIR FAMILIES.
FIRE OFFICIALS CANCELLED CLASSES WHILE ASSESSING AIR QUALITY AND DAMAGE INSIDE THE SCHOOL.
[MUSIC TRANSITION : 03]
--CAMP RIPLEY FIRE--
IN NORTH-CENTRAL MINNESOTA... A WILDFIRE SUNDAY AT A NATIONAL GUARD TRAINING CAMP BURNED ABOUT TWO-THOUSAND ACRES BEFORE FIREFIGHTERS CONTAINED THE BLAZE.
CAMP RIPLEY’S FIRE DEPARTMENT SAYS IT ESTABLISHED A PERIMETER AROUND THE FIRE MONDAY … AND IT WAS NEVER A WIDER THREAT.
CAMP RIPLEY HAS AN ON-SITE FIRE TEAM AND DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES … OR D-N-R … PERSONNEL ON STAFF … AND THEY ROUTINELY USE CONTROLLED BURNS TO REDUCE FIRE RISK AND MANAGE VEGETATION..
[RIPLEY PIO: WE HAVE ACTIVE TRAINING ON BASE AND WE HAVE LIVE ROUNDS EVERY SINGLE YEAR, SO IF WE DON’T DO CONTROLLED BURNS, IT CAN CREATE LARGER WILDFIRES.]
CAMP OFFICIALS SAY THEY DON’T KNOW WHAT STARTED THE FIRE … AND ARE STILL INVESTIGATING.
MORE CONTROLLED BURNS ARE PLANNED IN THE UPCOMING DAYS... .
--BURNING RESTRICTIONS--
WHILE CAMP RIPLEY HAS THE PERSONNEL TO PERFORM THOSE BURNS … THE D-N-R HAS PUT BURN RESTRICTIONS IN PLACE FOR 31 COUNTIES ... AS DRY, WARM WEATHER PUSHES UP THE RISK OF WILDFIRES.
THE AGENCY ISN’T CURRENTLY ISSUING PERMITS TO BURN YARD WASTE OR BRUSH FOR MUCH OF CENTRAL AND NORTH-CENTRAL MINNESOTA … AND SUGGESTS COMPOSTING OR HAULING DEBRIS TO COLLECTION SITES INSTEAD.
AND REMEMBER ... IF YOU START A WILDFIRE ... YOU MAY HAVE TO PAY FOR DAMAGES.
--PARK POINT CONTROLLED BURN--
AND.. ONE MORE NOTE FOR THE DULUTH AREA AS WE ENTER WILDFIRE SEASON...
DULUTH OFFICIALS PLAN TO CONDUCT CONTROLLED BURNS AT THE CITY’S PARK POINT FOREST LATER THIS SPRING … BUT ONLY WHEN CONDITIONS ARE RIGHT.
THE PROJECT WILL BURN OUT SHRUBS AND THICK UNDERGROWTH … AND RED AND JACK PINE TREES … FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HUNDREDS OF YEARS … REFRESHING THE LAND FOR NEW GROWTH.
STATE NATURAL RESOURCES OFFICIALS ARE WORKING WITH THE FOND DU LAC BAND OF LAKE SUPERIOR CHIPPEWA ON THE PROJECT …
ANOTHER BURN IS EXPECTED NEXT YEAR IF THIS ONE IS SUCCESSFUL.
--PARK POINT UPDATE--
DULUTH IS ALSO CONSIDERING REBUILDING AND PROTECTING THE PARK POINT RECREATION AREA.
THE LONG-TERM PROJECT PLANS CALL FOR MOVING ROADS AWAY FROM ERODING SHORELINES … IMPROVING TRAILS AND PARKING … AND UPGRADING AGING FACILITIES.
THE PROJECT HAS AN ESTIMATED PRICETAG OF AROUND 17-MILLION DOLLARS …
THE PARK BOARD WILL PRESENT UPDATED PLANS TO THE CITY COUNCIL.
[NAT: MUSIC TRANSITION]
--MOOSE TRACKING--
MINNESOTA’S MOOSE POPULATION IS ROUGHLY HALF OF WHAT IT WAS IN 2009 … NOW A FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND STATE AND TRIBAL PARTNERSHIP IS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHY.
THIS WINTER … RESEARCHERS FROM THE NORTHERN MOOSE ALLIANCE TAGGED 60 MOOSE ACROSS NORTHEAST MINNESOTA BETWEEN THE AGES OF ONE AND THREE …
THIS CRITICAL AGE GROUP HAS LARGELY GONE UNSTUDIED ...
THE RESEARCHERS HOPE TO TRACK THE GROUP AND LEARN WHAT’S KEEPING POPULATIONS LOW.
[MICHELLE CARSTENSEN, MN DNR: WE REALLY WANTED THE FEMALES TO BE MORE REPRESENTED IN THIS PROJECT BECAUSE OF THE INTEREST WE HAVE IN LOOKING AT REPRODUCTION.]
RESEARCHERS HOPE TO COLLAR AND TRACK 60 TO 80 MOOSE A YEAR FOR THE NEXT SIX YEARS.
--PASSOVER--
AND FINALLY …
PESACH … OR PASSOVER BEGINS TODAY … THE WEEK-LONG JEWISH HOLIDAY THAT COMMEMORATES THE EXODUS FROM EGYPT.
MINNESOTA IS HOME TO AN ESTIMATED 60-THOUSAND JEWISH PEOPLE … WHO WILL HOLD SEDERS … OR CEREMONIAL MEALS... FOR THE NEXT TWO NIGHTS.
THEY’LL SKIP EATING BREAD AND OTHER LEAVENED FOODS ALL WEEK... AS A REMINDER OF THE HURRIED ESCAPE THEIR ANCESTORS MADE FROM SLAVERY.. WHEN THERE WASN’T ENOUGH TIME FOR THE DOUGH TO RISE.
FOR NORTH STAR STORIES, I’M XAN HOLSTON.