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BOUNDARY WATERS WATERSHED-MINING

Mining ban near Boundary Waters once again on the table

DULUTH, Minn. (AP) — The ongoing tug-of war over whether mining should be allowed near the pristine Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness has been resurrected with strong opinions on both sides of the issue. Federal officials once again gathered feedback from the public in a virtual meeting Wednesday that comes more than five years after a 20-year mining ban was first proposed for land south of the Boundary Waters in northeastern Minnesota. Supporters of the ban insist the watershed of the Boundary Waters is no place to mine copper, nickel and other precious metals because of environmental risks. But, those against the ban say the mineral resources are critical for a transition to a green economy.

FATAL FARGO SHOOTINGS

Man accused in deadly Fargo factory shooting will have exam

FARGO, N.D. (AP) — A man accused of killing two co-workers at a North Dakota plastics factory in November will undergo a mental health exam to determine whether he is competent to stand trial. Cass County Judge Wade Webb signed a commitment order Wednesday so that Anthony Reese Jr. can be evaluated at the North Dakota State Hospital as requested by his attorneys. Radio station KFGO reports that the 35-year-old Moorhead, Minnesota, man is charged with three counts of murder for the Nov. 17 shooting deaths of 43-year-old Richard Pittman and Pittman’s pregnant girlfriend, 32-year-old April Carbone, at Melet Plastics, a Fargo manufacturer that is also known as Composite America. Reese remains in custody on a $2 million bond.

REMOTE VIDEO TESTIMONY

Ruling raises new questions about remote testimony in court

An overturned conviction in Missouri is raising new questions about video testimony in criminal court cases nationwide. And the ruling could have ripple effects through a justice system increasingly reliant on remote technology as it struggles with a backlog of cases during the coronavirus pandemic. Missouri’s highest court on Tuesday reversed the statutory rape conviction of a St. Louis man. The court found that an investigator’s video testimony violated the defendant’s Sixth Amendment right to confront the witnesses against him. Unlike many pandemic-era cases, the trial judge went ahead despite the defendant’s objections.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-MINNESOTA

Minneapolis schools move instruction online as virus surges

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minneapolis Public Schools will pivot to online instruction for two weeks because the coronavirus has significantly reduced the number of school staff available for in-person learning. Virtual education will begin Friday with students returning to the classroom Jan. 31. Minneapolis joins a growing list of school districts planning to move to distance learning, including Osseo, Prior Lake, Richfield, Rochester and Shakopee. Minneapolis Superintendent Ed Graff said district officials made the call to go virtual after about 400 teachers stayed home Tuesday and Wednesday. That’s about double what the district expects during the winter months.

WINDOW MAKER-FARGO EXPANSION

Minnesota-based Marvin expanding operations in North Dakota

FARGO, N.D. (AP) — A Minnesota-based window and door maker is expanding its operations in Fargo, North Dakota. Marvin plans to build a 127,000-square-foot manufacturing facility and a 148,000-square-foot distribution center in Fargo. The expansion is expected create 300 new jobs. The unemployment rate in the Fargo and Moorhead, Minnesota area was 1.8% in November, according to the most recent federal data. The were three job openings for every unemployed person in the state last fall. Warroad, Minnesota-based Marvin first opened a factory in Fargo 25 years ago. It now has six facilities in the area that employ 1,700 people. Marvin also announced it is bumping its starting wage from $18.50 to $20 an hour and giving new hires access to benefits on the first day.

FUGITIVE APPREHENDED

Man arrested in Mexico for sex with Minnesota teen in 2000

MOORHEAD, Minn. (AP) — A man accused of having sex with a 14-year-old girl has been apprehended in Mexico 21 years after he fled following his arrest in Minnesota. Curtis Lee Brovold met the girl from Moorhead, Minnesota, online in 2000. Brovold was arrested later that year but failed to show up for a court hearing. Moorhead police detectives and FBI investigators from Fargo, North Dakota, determined that Brovold was living in Cancun. The 67-year-old Brovold was arrested without incident outside his home there on Wednesday afternoon. He will be returned to the United States and is expected to be transferred to the custody of Moorhead law enforcement.

GEORGE FLOYD-OTHER OFFICERS

Judge agrees to delay state trial for 3 cops in Floyd death

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Minnesota judge has agreed to delay a state court trial for three former Minneapolis police officers charged in George Floyd’s death, though he didn’t immediately set a date. Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill told attorneys to agree on a new date that’s within one year. They must inform the court by Sunday. Cahill said if they cannot agree, the trial will remain set for March 7. Thomas Lane, J. Kueng and Tou Thao face charges of aiding and abetting both murder and manslaughter. Their attorneys and prosecutors sought to delay the trial because the three first have a federal trial on Jan. 20 on charges alleging they violated Floyd’s civil rights.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-MINNESOTA

Walz seeks $40M for hospital staffing amid COVID-19 surge

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said Wednesday that he wants to use $40 million in federal funding to support emergency staffing at hospitals that are straining to cope with a surge in COVID-19 cases that is expected to get worse. Walz on Wednesday announced his request to fund the hiring of nurses to work 60 hours per week for 60 days at hospitals experiencing shortages due to the virus. The request follows another $40 million Walz wants to put toward expanding testing. Both requests come out of $500 million in American Rescue Plan state funds for immediate COVID-19 response.