U.S. Foresters say Boundary Waters fires might not be out until winter, the Public Utility Commission okays a massive solar project, and Rochester says no to a $55-million-dollar sports dome.
Transcript
WITH HEADLINES FROM AROUND THE STATE, I’M XAN HOLSTON.
COMING UP …
[MARY MORIARTY: SIX MONTHS OF RELENTLESS COLLECTIVE EFFORT BY OUR OFFICE.]
MINNESOTA PROSECUTORS FINALLY GET KEY EVIDENCE FROM THE FEDS ABOUT THREE OPERATION METRO SURGE SHOOTINGS.
BUT FIRST …
--WILDFIRES UPDATE--
THE U-S FOREST SERVICE HAS CLOSED ALL PUBLIC ACCESS TO THE BOUNDARY WATERS CANOE AREA...OR B-W-C-A THROUGH AT LEAST FRIDAY.
THAT’S ONLY THE THIRD TIME IN HISTORY THE FOREST SERVICE HAS CLOSED THAT ENTIRE AREA.
THE CLOSURE IS IN RESPONSE TO ABOUT 20 WILDFIRES BURNING ACROSS NORTHERN MINNESOTA ... WHICH ARE NOW CUTTING DEEP INTO THE REGION’S PEAK TOURISM SEASON.
DAN WATERS HAS RUN THE ‘CANADIAN RIVERS’ OUTFITTER IN ELY FOR MORE THAN 60 YEARS. HE SAYS A NEIGHBORING OUTFITTER TOLD HIM THE CLOSURE WILL ERASE A MAJOR CHUNK OF SUMMER BUSINESS.
[DAN WATERS: JUST CLOSING FOR THIS WEEK IS GOING TO COST THEM 35-THOUSAND DOLLARS … MULTIPLY THAT BY A COUPLE DOZEN OTHER OUTFITTERS … AND IT’S GOING TO REALLY HURT THE TOWN OF ELY.]
THE WILDFIRES ARE ALSO IMPACTING HOTELS, RESTAURANTS, AND OTHER BUSINESSES THAT RELY ON SUMMER TOURISM.
--LAKE SUPERIOR COLDER WATERS--
THE SAME SOUTHWEST WINDS RAISING WILDFIRE CONCERNS UP NORTH ARE ALSO PULLING COLDER WATER TOWARD PARTS OF LAKE SUPERIOR’S NORTH SHORE.
THE WIND CAN PUSH WARM SURFACE WATER OFFSHORE… ALLOWING THE COLDER, DEEPER WATER TO RISE... WHICH IS CURRENTLY ABOUT 40-DEGREES.
SO THAT DROPS SOME SHORELINE TEMPERATURES FIVE TO 15 DEGREES... FOR INSTANCE ... GRAND MARAIS AIR TEMPERATURE ALONG THE SHORE WAS BELOW 60-DEGREES FOR MUCH OF THE DAY.
--ROSEMOUNT CHURCH FIRE--
THE HEAT MADE AN ALREADY DANGEROUS JOB EVEN HARDER FOR FIREFIGHTERS IN ROSEMOUNT... SOUTH OF THE TWIN CITIES.
A THREE-ALARM FIRE AT A CHURCH AND MULTI-CULTURAL CENTER TOOK CREWS FROM SEVERAL CITIES HOURS TO CONTROL.
FLAMES COMPLETELY DESTROYED THE ROOF AND BELL TOWER … NO ONE WAS INSIDE WHEN THE FIRE STARTED
IT WAS A FORMER LUTHERAN CHURCH AND CURRENTLY SERVES AS A MULTICULTURAL COMMUNITY CENTER AND ETHIOPIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH.
--AMISH BUGGY ACCIDENT--
IN SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA ... POLICE ARE INVESTIGATING WHETHER ALCOHOL WAS INVOLVED WHEN THE DRIVER OF A CAR CRASHED INTO THE BACK OF AN AMISH HORSE-DRAWN BUGGY
.
THE STATE PATROL SAYS BOTH WERE HEADED IN THE SAME DIRECTION WHEN THE CRASH HAPPENED OVER THE WEEKEND NEAR LANESBORO... SOUTH OF ROCHESTER.
THE BUGGY DRIVER WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL WITH NON-LIFE-THREATENING INJURIES. THE CAR DRIVER WAS NOT INJURED. THE CRASH REMAINS UNDER INVESTIGATION.
--DOJ HANDS OVER EVIDENCE--
MINNESOTA OFFICIALS NOW HAVE KEY EVIDENCE FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE FOR THREE SHOOTINGS DURING OPERATION METRO SURGE … THE FEDERAL IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN EARLIER THIS YEAR
AFTER MONTHS OF REFUSING TO SHARE EVIDENCE ... HENNEPIN COUNTY ATTORNEY MARY MORIARTY SAYS FEDERAL OFFICIALS TURNED OVER BODY-CAMERA VIDEO, STATEMENTS, AND PHYSICAL EVIDENCE FROM THE SHOOTING DEATHS OF RENEE GOOD AND ALEX PRETTI … AND THE SHOOTING OF JULIO SOSA CELIS.
MORIARTY SAYS SHE HAS NOT DECIDED WHETHER TO FILE CHARGES … BUT NOW HAS THE EVIDENCE SHE NEEDS TO HELP DECIDE. .
[MARY MORIARTY: WE NEED TRANSPARENCY. WE NEED COOPERATION. OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS IT. ALEX PRETTI AND RENEE GOOD'S FAMILIES DESERVE IT. JULIO SOSA-CELIS DESERVES IT. OUR DEMOCRACY REQUIRES IT.]
MORIARTY SAYS HER OFFICE WON’T RUSH ANY POTENTIAL PROSECUTION.
--CITY OF NORTHERN CANDIDATES--
UP NORTH … MINNESOTA’S NEWEST CITY IS LOOKING FOR ITS FIRST LEADERS.
CANDIDATE FILING OPENS TODAY IN THE APTLY NAMED ‘NORTHERN’ … THE FORMER TOWNSHIP JUST NORTH OF BEMIDJI THAT WON STATE APPROVAL TO BECOME A CITY EARLIER THIS YEAR.
NORTHERN NEEDS A MAYOR AND FOUR AT-LARGE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
FILING CLOSES JULY 28TH … VOTERS WILL PICK THE NEW CITY’S FOUNDING COUNCIL IN NOVEMBER.
--RED LAKE NATION VOTING--
VOTING IN THE RUN-OFF ELECTION FOR THE RED LAKE BAND OF CHIPPEWA RUNS THIS WEEK. ABSENTEE VOTING ENDS TODAY.
TOMORROW … ON-RESERVATION VOTING RUNS FROM 8 A-M TO 8 P-M AT EACH DISTRICT ... AND AT THE RED LAKE NATION GOVERNMENT CENTER.
RED LAKE LEADERS ENCOURAGE ALL VOTERS TO CAST A BALLOT... SAYING ONLY 27-PERCENT OF ELIGIBLE VOTERS TURNED OUT IN MAY... FOR MORE INFORMATION.. CHECK OUT THE OFFICIAL BAND FACEBOOK SITE.
--SPONGY MOTH TREATMENTS--
EXPECT LOW-FLYING PLANES OVER PARTS OF NORTHEASTERN MINNESOTA THIS WEEK ... INCLUDING CARLTON COUNTY AND AREAS OF THE FOND DU LAC RESERVATION ... AS THE STATE TARGETS THE INVASIVE SPONGY MOTH.
THE MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE SAYS THE PLANES SPRAY A PHEROMONE PRODUCT THAT DISRUPTS MATING RATHER THAN KILLING THE MOTHS …AND IS NON-TOXIC TO PEOPLE, PETS, AND WILDLIFE.
--ALEX KMETT BUSH FELLOWSHIP --
AND FINALLY …
A NORTHEASTERN MINNESOTA MAN IS GETTING RECOGNITION FOR HIS WORK IN PRESERVING AND TEACHING THE OJIBWE LANGUAGE.
THE BUSH FOUNDATION HAS NAMED ALEX KMETT OF CLOQUET ONE OF ITS 2026 BUSH FELLOWS.
KMETT IS A RED LAKE NATION MEMBER AND LEECH LAKE DESCENDENT WHO HAS HELPED RECORD OJIBWE LANGUAGE TABLES … AND DEVELOP EARLY CHILDHOOD LANGUAGE IMMERSION PROGRAMS.
THE TWO-YEAR FELLOWSHIP COMES WITH A 150-THOUSAND-DOLLAR STIPEND.
WITH NORTHSTAR STORIES, I’M XAN HOLSTON.