No prison. The Star Tribune’s Paul Walsh reports: “A onetime Florida police officer has been sentenced to probation and no prison time for mistakenly shooting and killing a retired Twin Cities school librarian during a citizens academy exercise more than three years ago.”
Youths in unions. The Rochester Post Bulletin’s John Molseed writes: “Younger people joining unions has increased the number of union-affiliated workers to its highest in more than a decade, labor statistics show. More than 421,000 Minnesota workers were members of or represented by unions in 2018, according to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s a small drop from about 428,000 Minnesota workers in 2017 — which was the most seen in more than a decade.”
It pays to go negative. The AP reports (via WCCO): “Sen. Amy Klobuchar says she raised $1.1 million for her 2020 presidential campaign in the 24 hours following this week’s Democratic debate. … The moderate Democratic Minnesota senator was among the top critics of Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren on Tuesday, criticizing Warren’s health care plan as a ‘pipe dream.’ She also ripped President Donald Trump.”
Police reform effort. City Pages’ Mike Mullen writes: “[Activist Kim Milliard] and a group called Mpls for a Better Police Contract see the contract as a chance to make fundamental changes to how the department operates, and are proposing a set of 14 changes in the next contract. One top priority would prohibit officers working more than 50 hours in one week. Under the current deal, there’s no cap on how many hours of overtime cops can work. … Another proposal calls for Minneapolis cops to be subject to mental health screenings every three years, and for testing of new hires who’d previously worked at another law enforcement agency.”
Bad farming conditions continue. MPR’s Dan Gunderson reports: “The unsettled fall weather is testing Betsy Jensen’s usual optimistic outlook. … ‘There’s just been drizzle and everything else for so long it’s just … It’s horrible,’ Jensen said last week, sitting out another damp day in the office of her farm near Stephen, Minn. … Wet conditions delayed spring planting this year across Minnesota, and soggy soil has harvest on hold in many areas this fall.”
In other news…
Really ducking things up: “Suspected fire on radar in northern Minnesota turns out to be 600,000 ducks” [Star Tribune]
Quite a Klobuchar headline: “‘I’m Starting Not to Care That She Is Brutal to Her Staff’” [Politico]
Interesting: “Panel highlights Somali experiences in Midwest” [Mankato Free Press]
Sad news: “Man run over crossing Lyndale Avenue in Minneapolis has died” [Star Tribune]
Look, believe what you want: “NOAA’s Winter Outlook Suggests Snowier Than Average Winter In Minnesota” [WCCO]
Wisconsin is the W in “WTF??”: “Police: Seven-Year-Old Boy Caught Vaping In The Middle Of Class” [WCCO]
Amy came across as pretty nasty, I think we saw what former staff members were talking about. Of course those with conservative tenancies loved it. Too bad for Amy that they won’t be voting in the primaries. She may not even make the next debate.
No mention that Senator Amy couldn’t get the endorsement of the most powerful Representative in the State (Omar). How is that possible?