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FATAL FARGO SHOOTINGS

Minnesota man charged in killing of couple at Fargo factory

FARGO, N.D. (AP) — A 35-year-old man has been charged with three counts of murder in the shooting deaths at a Fargo factory of a man and a woman who was eight months pregnant. Anthony Reese Jr., of Moorhead, Minnesota, is charged with killing 43-year-old Richard Pittman, 32-year-old April Carbone and her unborn child after an argument Wednesday at Composite America. He made his first court appearance Thursday, where a judge set his bond at $2 million and scheduled a preliminary hearing for Dec. 16. Authorities allege that Reese shot the couple after getting into an argument at the factory and being told by management to leave. Police say he later returned with a gun and opened fire.

AP-US-INFRASTRUCTURE-BILL-TRIBES

Tribes welcome infusion of money in infrastructure bill

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — The massive infrastructure bill that President Joe Biden signed this week includes billions of dollars to address long-standing issues with water and sanitation on tribal land. The Indian Health Service says it will consult with tribes on how best to use the $3.5 billion. The amount is enough to fulfill the more than 1,560 projects on the agency’s list of sanitation deficiencies. Tribes welcomed the infusion of money but say sustained investments are needed to make up for decades of neglect and underfunding. The bill also includes funding for broadband in Indian Country, tribal water rights settlements, roads and climate resilience.

AP-US-BIDEN-HOME-HEATING-BILLS

White House offering more aid for winter heat, utility bills

The Biden administration is helping to distribute several billion dollars in aid for winter heating and utility bills. The money comes largely from the administration’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package. It provides an additional $4.5 billion for the government’s Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which typically has funding of $3 billion to $4 billion annually. Aid for renters can also cover utility costs. The White House is hosting a call Thursday for governors’ offices to help release the aid to vulnerable households. Speakers will include the Energy and Health and Human Services secretaries and the governors of Connecticut, Maine, Michigan and Minnesota.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-MINNESOTA

Defense Department will help relieve 2 Minnesota hospitals

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Gov. Tim Walz says the Department of Defense will send medical teams to two major Minnesota hospitals to relieve doctors and nurses who are swamped by a growing wave of COVID-19 patients. The teams, each comprising 22 people, will arrive at Hennepin County Medical Center and St. Cloud Hospital next week and begin treating patients immediately. Walz made the announcement from the Finnish capital of Helsinki. the latest stop on his European trade mission. Minnesota has become one of the country’s worst hotspots for new COVID-19 infections. Hospital beds are filling up with unvaccinated people, and staffers are being worn down by the surge.

BANKERS SURVEY

Survey shows continued growth in rural economy in November

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A new monthly survey of bankers in rural parts of 10 Plains and Western states suggests rising economic growth in the region, but confidence in the economy’s future continued to drop. The overall Rural Mainstreet economic index rose in November to 67.7 from October’s 66.1. Any score above 50 suggests growth. The survey’s confidence index, which reflects bank CEO expectations for the economy six months out, sank for the fifth straight month to 48.4 in November. That’s the lowest level since August of last year and down from October’s 51.8. Bankers from Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming were surveyed.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-MINNESOTA-PRISONS

Nearly a quarter of St. Cloud prisoners have COVID-19

ST. CLOUD, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota Correctional Facility in St. Cloud has the largest outbreak of coronavirus cases in the state’s prison system in months. According to corrections officials, 242 inmates have tested positive for COVID-19. That’s nearly a quarter of the inmate population at the St. Cloud prison. The state Department of Corrections is working with the Department of Health to determine why cases have spiked since protocols haven’t changed. Officials say a number of factors may be in play; including growing rates of community spread, the need for booster shots as vaccines wane and a switch to the prison’s heating system instead of circulating fresh air.

OIL PRICES

North Dakota treasury benefitting from higher oil prices

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Climbing U.S. oil prices that have motorists paying more at the gas pumps are adding to North Dakota’s bottom line. The state’s oil production was up slightly in September, but prices for North Dakota crude were 32% higher than the state’s tax revenue forecast. New data shows North Dakota produced 1.1 million barrels of oil per day in September, up 0.5% from August. The state’s natural gas production was stronger, up 1.8% from the previous month. U.S. oil prices have climbed in recent months to around $80 a barrel, hitting highs not seen since 2014.

PREGNANT WOMAN KILLED

2 people charged with death of pregnant woman in Minneapolis

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Two people were charged Tuesday in the beating death of a pregnant woman whose body was discovered last week in Minneapolis. One of the suspects is a convicted sex offender. Shannon Michael Benson, of Minneapolis, and Jade M. Rissell, of Elk River, are accused in connection with killing the woman, whose identity was unknown when police found her body in a burned-out travel trailer on Nov. 8. Police say they have identified the victim but are waiting for conformation from the medical examiner. Investigators said the victim had been reported missing in Anoka sometime between Oct. 29 and 31. Benson and Rissell are scheduled to appear in court Wednesday.