Hermantown public officials are in the hot seat — again, Annunciation families tell their stories in advance of the anniversary of their loss, and Project Hero rides from St. Paul to Madison to support veterans with PTSD.
Transcript
WITH HEADLINES FROM AROUND THE STATE, I’M XAN HOLSTON. (25)
AS WE APPROACH THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE TRAGIC SCHOOL SHOOTINGS AT ANNUNCIATION PARENTS SHARE THEIR STORIES ... ...
[BRITTANY HAEG: HOPE IS THE CHOICE TO NOT LET OUR STORY END IN DESPAIR… HOPE ISN’T A THING YOU FEEL; IT’S A THING THAT YOU CHOOSE.]
THAT STORY COMING UP... BUT FIRST...
SECRET RECORDINGS ARE PUTTING PUBLIC OFFICIALS UNDER NEW SCRUTINY.
--HERMANTOWN LEADERS APOLOGIZE--
HERMANTOWN CITY LEADERS ARE NOW APOLOGIZING … AND THE CITY IS OPENING AN OUTSIDE INVESTIGATION... AFTER LEAKED RECORDINGS OF A CLOSED-DOOR MEETING THIS SUMMER ... REVEAL THE POLICE CHIEF MOCKING PEOPLE WHO OPPOSE BUILDING A DATA CENTER IN THE CITY.. …
AND OTHER STAFF DISCUSSING “SCRIPTS” FOR COUNCILMEMBERS.
JOHN RAMOS OF THE DULUTH MONITOR OBTAINED AND SHARED THE RECORDINGS WITH NORTH STAR STORIES.
IN THIS PART OF THE RECORDING, POLICE CHIEF JIM CRACE IS TALKING ABOUT CITIZENS WHO COMMENTED AT PUBLIC HEARINGS.
[HERMANTOWN POLICE CHIEF JIM CRACE: BECAUSE KLUCKERT IS AN IDIOT … AND CONTINUES TO BE AN IDIOT … THE NATIVE CHICK CONTINUES TO BE A GONG SHOW.]
CRACE APOLOGIZED AT MONDAY NIGHT’S CITY COUNCIL MEETING …
BUT SEVERAL CITIZENS CALLED FOR HIM TO RESIGN … OR BE FIRED.
[RICK DAVIS: WHAT WAS SAID IN THOSE TAPES WAS UNBELIEVABLE, DISGUSTING, DISGRACEFUL, RACIST, SEXIST, UNPROFESSIONAL, AND DANGEROUS BEHAIVOR.]
THE RECORDINGS SURFACED AFTER MONTHS OF TENSION REGARDING THE GOOGLE DATA CENTER …WITH CRITICISM OF SECRECY AND NON-DISCLOSURE AGREEMENTS BETWEEN CITY LEADERS AND GOOGLE.
IN A SEPARATE RECORDING... CITY STAFF DISCUSS DRAFTING PRE-SCRIPTED QUESTIONS FOR COUNCILMEMBERS TO MAKE THEM SEEM MORE INFORMED AND INTERESTED IN THE PROJECT … AND LAUGHING ABOUT KEEPING THEIR TALKS OUT OF THE PUBLIC RECORD.
[CITY STAFF: NO ONE WILL SEE IT, BUT PEOPLE WILL BE LIKE: “OH WE’RE GLAD THE COUNCIL IS FINALLY ENGAGED ON THIS.” AND WE DON’T NEED ANY EMAILS REGARDING THIS CONVERSATION EITHER… (LAUGHS)]
HERMANNTOWN MAYOR WAYNE BOUCHER SAYS HE IS NOT AWARE OF COUNCILMEMBERS USING SCRIPTED COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS... AND THAT THE CITY IS BRINGING IN AN OUTSIDE INVESTIGATOR TO LOOK INTO THE ISSUE.
--COPPER-NICKEL MINING BAN--
FOUR MONTHS AFTER CONGRESS AND PRESIDENT TRUMP LIFTED A 20-YEAR FEDERAL BAN ON MINING NEAR THE BOUNDARY WATERS …
GOVERNOR TIM WALZ SIGNED AN EXECUTIVE ORDER TO KEEP COPPER-NICKEL MINING FROM HAPPENING THERE.
[TIM WALZ: AS FAR AS MY ADMINISTRATION IS CONCERNED, THE FIGHT FOR THE FUTURE OF THE BOUNDARY WATERS IS OVER.]
THE ORDER DIRECTS THE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES...ALSO KNOWN AS THE D-N-R. AND THE POLLUTION CONTROL AGENCY... TO STOP STATE ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW AND PERMITTING WORK ... SPECIFICALLY FOR MINES OTHER THAN IRON ORE.
THE EXECUTIVE ORDER ALSO BLOCKS NEW STATE MINERAL LEASES IN THE WATERSHED... AND TELLS THE D-N-R TO REVIEW EXISTING LEASES AND STRICTLY ENFORCE THEIR TERMS.
THE ORDER IS NOT PERMANENT... EXPIRING 90-DAYS AFTER WALZ LEAVES OFFICE UNLESS HIS SUCCESSOR CONTINUES IT.
BUT... WALZ DID DIRECT THE D-N-R TO DRAFT A PERMANENT BAN FOR LAWMAKERS TO CONSIDER NEXT SESSION.
U-S CONGRESSMAN PETE STAUBER ... WHO SPONSORED THE RESOLUTION OVERTURNING THE FEDERAL 20-YEAR BAN... CALLED WALZ’S ORDER “AN OUTRIGHT WAR ON NORTHERN MINNESOTA AND OUR WAY OF LIFE.”
--ANNUNCIATION MEMORIAL--
A PERMANENT MEMORIAL TO EIGHT-YEAR-OLD FLETCHER MERKEL NOW SITS BESIDE GRASS LAKE IN SOUTH MINNEAPOLIS.
THE KENNY NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION DEDICATED THE BENCH LAST NIGHT… A WEEK BEFORE THE FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF THE ANNUNCIATION CATHOLIC SCHOOL SHOOTING.
FLETCHER AND TEN-YEAR-OLD HARPER MOYSKI WERE KILLED WHEN A GUNMAN FIRED THROUGH THE CHURCH WINDOWS DURING THE FIRST ALL-SCHOOL MASS OF THE YEAR.
SCHOOL PARENTS HAVE FORMED THE GROUP … ANNUNCIATION LIGHT ALLIANCE.. WITH A MISSION OF PREVENTING GUN VIOLENCE AGAINST CHILDREN… IN THEIR NEWLY RELEASED VIDEO… ANNUNCIATION PARENTS SHARE THEIR MEMORIES BEFORE EVERYTHING CHANGED.
[FLETCHER’S MOM: I FED THE KIDS BREAKFAST. THEY HAD BREAKFAST SANDWICHES, AND FLETCHER HAD KETCHUP ON HIS FACE, AND MY BIG FEAR THAT DAY WAS THAT FLETCHER WAS GOING TO COME HOME, AND THE WHITE SHIRT WOULD BE DIRTY AND HAVE FOOD AND]
[HARPER AND QUINN’S DAD: I REMEMBER WALKING HARP ER AND QUINN UP THE STAIRS INTO ANNUNCIATION. TOLD THEM I LOVED THEM. GAVE BOTH OF THEM A SIDE SQUEEZE.]
THE PARENTS HOPE THEIR STORIES HONOR FLETCHER AND HARPER .. AND INSPIRE CHANGE THAT WILL BETTER PROTECT OTHER SCHOOL CHILDREN.
--VETERAN’S RIDE THROUGH ROCHESTER--
AND FINALLY …
[PELOTON SOUNDS]
THE ROAD FROM MINNEAPOLIS TO MADISON IS 425 MILES.
FOR HUNDREDS OF VETERANS, FIRST RESPONDERS AND SUPPORTERS… THE ROUTE IS ALSO PART OF THE ROAD TO RECOVERY.
THE PROJECT HERO GREAT LAKES CHALLENGE ROLLED INTO ROCHESTER YESTERDAY… WITH CYCLISTS LOGGING BETWEEN 50 AND 95 MILES A DAY.
ORGANIZERS SAY CYCLING BUILDS PHYSICAL STRENGTH — WHILE CAMARADERIE SUPPORTS MENTAL-HEALTH RECOVERY.
THE GROUP ROLLS OUT TODAY… HEADED FOR LA CROSSE… WISCONSIN BY THIS EVENING.
FOR NORTH STAR STORIES... I’M XAN HOLSTON.