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MINNESOTA SENATE-EDUCATION

Minnesota Senate takes up GOP ‘Parents Bill of Rights’

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota Senate has held its first votes on a package of Republican-backed education bills promoted as a “Parents Bill of Rights.” Most them likely won’t make it through the Democratic-controlled House this session. But the debate tees up some hot-button social issues for the election campaign. A bill allowing parents to review all instructional materials “without cost and immediately on request,” passed 37-30 Thursday. Senate GOP leaders decided to defer the debate over one of the most contentious bills — one opposed by advocates for LGBTQ youth — until an unspecified future date, citing a scheduling crunch.

PENTAIR-MANITOWOC ICE

Pentair to acquire Manitowoc Ice in $1.6 billion deal

GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. (AP) — Pentair, a leading water treatment company, plans to acquire a Wisconsin manufacturer of commercial ice machines for $1.6 billion. Pentair, headquartered in London and managed out of Golden Valley, Minnesota, has a definitive agreement to buy Manitowoc Ice, based in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. Pentair’s chief executive John Stauch says the acquisition is expected to be a game changer for its commercial water solutions platform. Manitowoc Iceis a subsidiary of Wellbit Inc., a Florida-based maker of commercial food-service equipment. With plants in Wisconsin, Mexico and China, Manitowoc Ice employs 800 people and manufactures about 200 models of commercial ice-making machines used in a variety of food service and industrial settings.

AP-US-LAKE-SUPERIOR-SHIPWRECK

Shipwreck discovered in Lake Superior, 131 years later

DEER PARK, Mich. (AP) — A ship that sank in 1891 has been discovered in Lake Superior off Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society says the Atlanta is well-preserved in the coldest of the Great Lakes. The shipwreck group posted photos and video with the name of the ship clearly visible at a depth of more than 600 feet, roughly 35 miles off Deer Park, Michigan. Sonar technology had a critical role in locating the Atlanta. The ship was being towed by another vessel when the line snapped during a storm. Crew members got into a lifeboat, though only two survived when that boat overturned.

OJIBWE-SACRED STORYTELLING

Only-in-winter stories pass on Ojibwe spiritual teachings

GRAND PORTAGE, Minn. (AP) — Oral storytelling is crucial to the spiritual traditions of the Ojibwe people of the Upper Midwest and Canada, as is the case with other Native American cultures. Believed to be a gift from the Creator, the ritual telling of stories about creation, spirits and ceremonies helps keep Ojibwe cultural worldviews, ethical teachings and religious experiences alive across generations. Many stories can only be told in winter, when many of nature’s creatures rest under a blanket of snow and spirits are less likely to act if offended. Storyteller Gordon Jourdain says it’s his role to impart these teachings to younger generations who will carry on the tradition.

FAIRMOUNT STANDOFF

Police arrest North Dakota man suspected in jail explosion

FAIRMOUNT, N.D. (AP) — A North Dakota man suspected of setting off an explosive device in a jail earlier this week was arrested after setting fire to his garage and barricading himself in a house. The five-hour standoff ended without incident Thursday after a SWAT team was summoned from the Fargo-Moorhead area to help negotiate with the suspect. Police recovered weapons and possibly some more explosive devices in the residence. Authorities had earlier obtained a search warrant for the suspect’s home as part of the investigation into an explosion and fire Tuesday in the lobby of the Richland County Law Enforcement Center in Wahpeton, north of Fairmount. Fairmount is located next to the Minnesota border and about 10 miles from South Dakota.

ELECTION 2022-MINNESOTA-GOVERNOR

Democrats fear broadcaster Hepola could be spoiler for Walz

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — The entry of former broadcaster Cory Hepola into the Minnesota governor’s race as a centrist third-party candidate adds a new challenge to Gov. Tim Walz’s re-election bid. And Democrats are already calling him a spoiler. Hepola has been a host on WCCO Radio and anchor on KARE-TV. He told reporters Wednesday that Minnesotans are tired of a “broken, toxic two-party system.” Hepola said he’s running on a platform of better education, public health and economic opportunities. Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party Chairman Ken Martin was quick to criticize Hepola’s candidacy, fearing it could siphon votes from Walz and elect a conservative Republican instead.

AP-US-AMELIA-EARHART-HELMET-AUCTION

Helmet worn by Amelia Earhart sells for $825,000 at auction

A leather helmet that Amelia Earhart wore on a flight across the Atlantic in 1928 and later lost in a crowd of fans in Cleveland sold at auction for $825,000. A spokesperson for Heritage Auctions says the helmet went to an anonymous bidder in an online-only sale that closed Sunday. The seller was Anthony Twiggs. The 67-year-old Minnesotan had tried for years to prove that the leather aviator’s helmet he had inheritedfrom his mother was really Earhart’s. The helmet was finally authenticated using photo matching. Earhart disappeared over the Pacific Ocean in 1937.

APARTMENT FIRE-FATALITY

1 dead, 2 injured in St. Paul apartment building fire

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Authorities say a one person died and two others were injured after a fire in a St. Paul apartment building. The Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s Office said 73-year-old James Sparks died from Tuesday’s blaze, which was contained to one unit. Two others were hospitalized. St. Paul Fire Department officials say the fire was likely caused by smoking. There was a smoke detector in the unit where the fire started but it wasn’t working. It was the first fire fatality of the year in St. Paul. All other residents of the building were able to return to their units.