Missing for 80 years, a second World War Two veteran’s body returns to southern Minnesota, and authorities look for persons of interest in the mostly contained Flanders Fire in Crow Wing County.
Transcript
WITH HEADLINES FROM AROUND THE STATE, I’M XAN HOLSTON.
--WORLD WAR TWO NAVY LTJG THOMAS ARTHUR RUTH OF JACKSONVILLE, MN--
FOR THE SECOND TIME IN A MONTH ... A SOUTHERN MINNESOTA COMMUNITY PREPARES TO WELCOME HOME A WORLD WAR TWO SERVICE MEMBER WHO WAS MISSING FOR MORE THAN 80-YEARS...
NAVY LIEUTENANT JUNIOR GRADE THOMAS ARTHUR RUTH IS COMING HOME TO JACKSON ... JUST WEEKS AFTER MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENT CAPTAIN WILLIBALD BIANCHI WAS LAID TO REST IN NEW ULM...
RUTH ENLISTED IN THE NAVY IN MINNEAPOLIS IN JANUARY OF 1941...
HE WAS 26 WHEN HIS SINGLE-SEAT F-4-F WILDCAT NAVY FIGHTER CRASHED IN THE SOLOMON ISLANDS DURING THE NEW GEORGIA CAMPAIGN.
HE WAS FLYING AIR COVER FOR U-S SHIPS AND ASSAULT FORCES WHEN A DOGFIGHT BROKE OUT. TEAMMATES CREDIT HIM WITH A SHOOT-DOWN OF THE ENEMY... BUT.. THEY LOST CONTACT WITH HIM.. AND HE NEVER RETURNED.
IN 2013... SEARCHERS FOUND A WILDCAT CRASH SITE WITH REMAINS IN THE AREA WHERE HIS PLANE WAS LAST SEEN.
LAST YEAR... DNA TESTING OFFICIALLY IDENTIFIED HIM.
LIEUTENANT JUNIOR GRADE THOMAS ARTHUR RUTH WILL RETURN HOME AND BE BURIED WITH FULL MILITARY HONORS MAY 27TH.. AT RIVERSIDE CEMETERY IN JACKSON.
--FIRE UPDATES--
FOUR DAYS AFTER A PAIR OF WILDFIRES STARTED UP NORTH … EVACUATION ORDERS HAVE BEEN LIFTED.. AND RESIDENTS CAN RETURN TO THEIR HOMES...
OFFICIALS SAY THEY HAVE NOW IDENTIFIED THE ORIGIN OF BOTH...
IN CROW WING COUNTY...D-N-R INVESTIGATORS OF THE FLANDERS FIRE SAY THEY HAVE IDENTIFIED PEOPLE OF INTEREST... AND ARE ASKING EVERYONE WHO LIVES IN THE AREA TO REVIEW ALL DOORBELL OR TRAIL CAMERA VIDEO YOU MAY HAVE.. AND CONTACT THE D-N-R IF YOU SEE ANYTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY.
FIRE OFFICIALS SAY THE STEWART TRAIL FIRE IN THE ARROWHEAD STARTED WITH A POWERLINE... AND THAT FIRE IS TOTALLY CONTAINED... WHILE CREWS CONTINUE TO PATROL AND EXTINGUISH HEAT POCKETS.
--WHITE BEAR LAKE STUDENT FORGERY--
A MAN ACCUSED OF LYING ABOUT HIS AGE AND SNEAKING BACK INTO HIGH SCHOOL AS A TEENAGER IS NOW FACING MORE CHARGES IN RAMSEY COUNTY COURT.
PROSECUTORS SAY KELVIN LUEBKE USED A LIBERIAN BIRTH CERTIFICATE UNDER A DIFFERENT NAME TO ENROLL AT WHITE BEAR LAKE HIGH SCHOOL.
HE’S ACCUSED OF POSING AS A STUDENT LAST FALL… EVEN JOINING THE FOOTBALL TEAM FOR A SHORT TIME.
COURT RECORDS SHOW LUEBKE MADE HIS FIRST APPEARANCE TUESDAY… AFTER HE WAS ARRESTED ON A WARRANT FOR MISSING HIS INITIAL HEARING APRIL 30TH.
--STATE TROOPER PLEADS TO CRIMINAL SEXUAL CONDUCT--
A MINNESOTA STATE TROOPER PLEADED GUILTY TO CRIMINAL SEXUAL CONDUCT INVOLVING A FELLOW TROOPER.
MORRISON COUNTY PROSECUTORS SAY JACOB NATHANIEL CHRISTOPHERSON ADMITTED TO INAPPROPRIATELY GROPING A FEMALE TROOPER DURING A TRAINING EVENT BACK IN AUGUST.
IT HAPPENED AT CAMP RIPLEY… THE MINNESOTA NATIONAL GUARD TRAINING CENTER NEAR LITTLE FALLS THAT ALSO HOSTS STATE POLICE TRAINING.
SENTENCING IS SET FOR JUNE 17TH.
--STATE TROOPER ACCUSED OF JUVENILE RAPE--
MEANWHILE.... A THERAPIST’S REPORT HAS A FORMER NORTH-CENTRAL MINNESOTA POLICE OFFICER FACING FELONY SEX-CRIME CHARGES.
FORMER HILL CITY OFFICER JORDAN ZEMPEL IS ACCUSED OF SEXUAL CONTACT WITH A 17-YEAR-OLD GIRL.
HENNEPIN COUNTY PROSECUTORS SAY ZEMPEL REFERENCED POWER AND GUNS… SHOWED POLICE GEAR… AND WAS IN UNIFORM DURING ONE ENCOUNTER DESCRIBED IN THE COURT DOCUMENT.
HILL CITY IS IN AITKIN COUNTY, SOUTH OF GRAND RAPIDS… BUT THE CASE IS CHARGED IN HENNEPIN COUNTY BECAUSE PROSECUTORS SAY ONE ALLEGED ENCOUNTER HAPPENED IN MINNEAPOLIS.
--AGAPE RECOMMENDED--
MINNEAPOLIS CITY STAFF AND MAYOR JACOB FREY HAVE RECOMMENDED A DEVELOPER FOR ‘THE PEOPLE’S WAY’ … THE FORMER GAS STATION AT THE HEART OF GEORGE FLOYD SQUARE.
THEY PICKED ‘THE MINNESOTA AGAPE MOVEMENT’ … A LOCAL VIOLENCE-INTERRUPTION AND COMMUNITY SAFETY GROUP …
OTHER SUBMISSIONS INCLUDED ONE FROM ‘RISE & REMEMBER’ … THE GROUP THAT HAS HELPED MAINTAIN THE SPACE SINCE GEORGE FLOYD’S MURDER.
THE CITY COUNCIL STILL HAS TO APPROVE THE RECOMMENDATION … WHILE SOME MEMBERS ARE QUESTIONING WHY AGAPE WAS CHOSEN OVER GROUPS WHOSE PROPOSALS HAD MORE COMMUNITY SUPPORT.
IF APPROVED … AGAPE WOULD HAVE TWO YEARS TO WORK WITH THE CITY AND COMMUNITY TO DEVELOP ITS PLAN FOR THE SITE.
--NORTH STAR STORIES GFS EPISODE--
THE RECOMMENDATION FOR A DEVELOPER COMES JUST WEEKS BEFORE THE SIXTH ANNIVERSARY OF GEORGE FLOYD’S DEATH.
[CROWD SOUNDS: SAY HIS NAME – GEORGE FLOYD! SAY HIS NAME – GEORGE FLOYD!]
ORGANIZERS ARE HOLDING THE ANNUAL ‘RISE & REMEMBER’ FESTIVAL OVER MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND AT GEORGE FLOYD SQUARE.
THE THREE-DAY EVENT FEATURES A STREET FESTIVAL … COMMUNITY HEALING SESSIONS … AND A CANDLELIGHT VIGIL.
AMPERS WEEKLY HALF-HOUR EDITION OF NORTH STAR STORIES’ WILL FOCUS ON THE 6TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE KILLING OF GEORGE FLOYD … AND ITS EFFECTS ON BUSINESS, MEDIA, AND CULTURE … HEAR IT ON YOUR LOCAL STATION … OR LISTEN TO IT AT AMPERS DOT ORG.
AND FINALLY …
[PATSEY: WHETHER WE’RE ORANGE, GREEN, PURPLE, SHORT, TALL — WE SHOULD ALL BE TREATED THE SAME.]
THE GOVERNOR’S COUNCIL ON DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES. IS REMINDING PEOPLE THAT DISABILITY ETIQUETTE DOESN’T HAVE TO BE COMPLICATED.
THE COUNCIL’S NEW CAMPAIGN AND WEBSITE IS “TREAT PEOPLE LIKE PEOPLE” .. IT SHARES SHORT VIDEOS … PERSONAL STORIES … AND RESOURCES ON ACCESSIBILITY, ADVOCACY AND RESPECTFUL LANGUAGE.
THE SITE IS MEANT TO HELP PEOPLE BETTER UNDERSTAND DISABILITY RIGHTS … AND HOW TO MAKE SCHOOLS, WORKPLACES AND COMMUNITIES MORE WELCOMING …
THE ‘GOLDEN’ MESSAGE IS SIMPLE: TREAT PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES THE WAY EVERYONE DESERVES TO BE TREATED … WITH DIGNITY AND RESPECT.
FOR NORTH STAR STORIES, I’M XAN HOLSTON.