White Earth hits the brakes on its proposed casino near Moorhead, a real estate broker violated the state Human Rights Act by targeting Muslim homebuyers with predatory mortgages, and do you have what it takes to win the State Fair Amateur Talent Contest?
Transcript
WITH HEADLINES FROM AROUND THE STATE, I’M XAN HOLSTON.
[CAROLYN VISSER: SEVERE WEATHER CAN HAPPEN AT ANY TIME AND COME ABOUT WITH NO NOTICE.]
--COMING UP... --
BE PREPARED FOR SUMMER STORM SEASON …
--BUT FIRST... --
CHANGES IN WHITE EARTH NATION LEADERSHIP ARE NOW BRINGING CHANGES TO THE WHITE EARTH CASINO PLAN NEAR MOORHEAD IN FAR WESTERN MINNESOTA.
NEWLY ELECTED SECRETARY-TREASURER JACOB MCARTHUR NOW TELLS CASINO INDUSTRY PUBLICATION, ‘THE FORUM’, HE WANTS TO – QUOTE – PUMP THE BRAKES.
HE WANTS TO EXPLORE ISSUES RELATED TO THE TRIBE AND PROJECT EXPENSES.. WHITE EARTH JOBS... AND THE VISITOR IMPACT ON THE TRIBE’S EXISTING CASINOS IN MAHNOMEN AND BAGLEY. MCARTHUR ALSO SAYS HE WANTS WHITE EARTH TO BE A GOOD NEIGHBOR.
THE LOCAL ‘SAY NO TO THE CASINO’ GROUP SAYS THE DEVELOPMENT WOULD BRING ECONOMIC... SOCIAL... AND ENVIRONMENTAL HARMS.
--MANKATO MORATORIUM ON DATA CENTERS AND LARGE RESOURCE USERS--
MANKATO IS MOVING AHEAD WITH A NEW AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL TOWER... AND CONSIDERING A TEMPORARY STOP ON DATA CENTERS.
THE CITY COUNCIL IS SEEKING CONSTRUCTION BIDS FOR THE MANKATO REGIONAL AIRPORT... AND WILL APPLY FOR MORE F-A-A FUNDS.
MANKATO’S AIRPORT IS ONE OF THE STATE’S BUSIEST AIRPORTS WITHOUT A CONTROL TOWER.. WITH NEARLY 130-THOUSAND TAKE-OFFS AND LANDINGS PER YEAR..
MANKATO IS ALSO MOVING FORWARD WITH CREATING A MORATORIUM – OR, A TEMPORARY ‘TIME-OUT’ - ON DATA CENTERS UNTIL THEY CAN BE STUDIED.
CITY COUNCILORS ALSO AGREED THAT THE MORATORIUM WILL INCLUDE OTHER INDUSTRY PROJECTS THAT REQUIRE LARGE AMOUNTS OF RESOURCES
COUNCILOR MICHAEL MCLAUGHLIN SAYS THE PUSHBACK ON DATA CENTERS CUTS ACROSS PARTYLINES.
[COUNCILLOR MICHAEL MCLAUGHLIN: A COMEDIAN WHO IS COMING TO OUR CIVIC CENTER SAID, “OPPOSITION TO DATA CENTERS IS THE MOST BIPARTISAN THING SINCE BEER” … I WOULD ECHO THAT.]
THE COUNCIL SET A MEETING FOR JULY 13TH TO HEAR PUBLIC COMMENTS ABOUT DATA CENTERS AND THE MORATORIUM.
--PIPELINE PUBLIC COMMENT--
ALL MINNESOTANS HAVE UNTIL AUGUST 21ST TO WEIGH IN ON A CONTROVERSIAL PIPELINE REROUTE NEAR PIPESTONE NATIONAL MONUMENT… NEAR THE CITY OF PIPESTONE IN FAR SOUTHWESTERN PART OF THE STATE.
MAGELLAN PIPELINE WANTS TO MOVE PART OF A PETROLEUM PIPELINE OFF FEDERAL LAND… AND ONTO PRIVATE PROPERTY IN PIPESTONE COUNTY.
THE ROUTE RAISES CONCERNS BECAUSE THE AREA IS CULTURALLY SACRED TO MANY TRIBAL NATIONS.
THE MINNESOTA PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION EXTENDED THE COMMENT PERIOD… THE COMMENTS BECOME PART OF THE OFFICIAL RECORD BEFORE THE COMMISSIONERS MAKE A FINAL DECISION.
--CHAD BANKEN LIABLE--
A JURY HAS SIDED WITH MUSLIM HOMEBUYERS WHO SAY A REAL ESTATE BROKER SET THEM UP TO LOSE THEIR HOMES.
A JURY FOUND A REAL ESTATE BROKER CHADWICH BANKEN LIABLE FOR VIOLATING THE MINNESOTA HUMAN RIGHTS ACT BY TARGETING MUSLIM BUYERS WITH CONTRACT SALES THAT HAD INFLATED TERMS.
HE IS ALSO LIABLE FOR OTHER CONSUMER PROTECTION VIOLATIONS...
THE MINNESOTA ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OFFICE SAYS BANKEN SOLD HOMES AT INFLATED PRICES … WITH SHORT REPAYMENT WINDOWS AND MASSIVE FINAL PAYMENTS… SETTING BUYERS UP TO DEFAULT ON THEIR LOANS.
A JUDGE STILL HAS TO DECIDE HOW MUCH BANKEN HAS TO PAY IN RESTITUTION.
--POLYGAMOUS SECT APPEAL DENIED--
UP IN THE ARROWHEAD REGION … THE MINNESOTA APPEALS COURT UPHELD A NEARLY MILLION-DOLLAR VERDICT IN A CASE TIED TO POLYGAMOUS CHURCH SECT LEADER WARREN JEFFS.
THE CASE STARTED WITH ELISSA (EE-LISA) WALL … A FORMER MEMBER OF THE FUNDAMENTALIST CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS … OR F-L-D-S.
IN 2017 ... WALL WON A MULTI-MILLION-DOLLAR JUDGMENT AGAINST JEFFS … AFTER JEFFS FORCED HER TO MARRY HER COUSIN WHEN SHE WAS 14 … BUT WALL SAYS JEFFS NEVER PAID.
SHE SUED HIM IN MINNESOTA … BECAUSE A MONEY TRAIL LED TO JEFF’S BROTHER AND A PROPERTY NEAR GRAND MARAIS.
A COOK COUNTY JURY AGREED … AND AWARDED HER 834-THOUSAND DOLLARS TIED TO THOSE ASSETS. THE APPEALS COURT UPHELD THAT VERDICT.
--STORM WARNINGS--
IN NORTHWEST MINNESOTA … CONFUSION OVER TORNADO ALERTS IN ADA IS TURNING INTO A BROAD REMINDER: KNOW WHERE YOUR WARNINGS COME FROM … AND DON’T RELY ON JUST ONE.
ADA’S CITY ADMINISTRATOR SAYS SOME RESIDENTS MAY HAVE BEEN EXPECTING TORNADO ALERTS THROUGH THE CITY TEXT SYSTEM … BUT A WEATHER WARNING IN NORMAN COUNTY DOESN’T ALWAYS MEAN ADA’S CITY ALERTS OR SIRENS WILL ACTIVATE.
CAROLYN VISSER WITH NORMAN COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE SAYS COUNTY SIRENS ARE CITY SPECIFIC.
[CAROLYN VISSER: SETTING OFF THE ACTUAL SIREN FOR WHICHEVER CITY WE’RE COVERING IN NORMAN COUNTY WILL DEPEND ON IF SOMETHING IS DIRECTLY GOING TOWARDS THE CITY.]
VISSER RECOMMENDS HAVING MORE THAN ONE WAY TO RECEIVE WEATHER WARNINGS … INCLUDING PHONE ALERTS, LOCAL WEATHER, AND WEATHER RADIOS.
--STATE FAIR KICKER--
AND FINALLY …
IF YOU CAN SING… DANCE… JUGGLE… PLAY THE TUBA… OR SOMEHOW DO ALL FOUR AT ONCE… THE MINNESOTA STATE FAIR WANTS TO SEE IT
REGISTRATION IS OPEN NOW THROUGH THE END OF JULY FOR THE MINNESOTA STATE FAIR AMATEUR TALENT CONTEST … WITH MORE THAN 20-THOUSAND DOLLARS IN PRIZE MONEY UP FOR GRABS.
AND IF YOU HEAD OUT TO ENJOY THE GREAT MINNESOTA GET TOGETHER ... BE SURE TO STOP BY OUR AMPERS RADIO BOOTH IN THE EDUCATION BUILDING...
AMPERS PRODUCES NORTH STAR STORIES ... AND REPRESENTS AND SUPPORTS 17 INDEPENDENT NON-COMMERCIAL COMMUNITY RADIO STATIONS THROUGHOUT MINNESOTA.
FOR NORTH STAR STORIES, I’M XAN HOLSTON.