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MINING RULES

Appeals court says group can sue over mining rules

ELY, Minn. (AP) — A Minnesota appellate court has affirmed that a wilderness advocacy group has standing to challenge state rules on copper mine sites. The Minnesota Appeals Court’s ruling Monday means that Northeastern Minnesotans for Wilderness’ lawsuit can continue. The group filed the action in June 2020 arguing the 29-year-old siting rules should prohibit copper mining along waters that flow directly into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. The group fears run-off from a proposed Twin Metals Minnesota copper-nickel mine in the Rainy River Headwaters would flow into the Boundary Waters. Twin Metals Minnesota moved to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing the wilderness group hasn’t shown any injury. Appellate Judge Michael Kirk ruled Monday that state environmental law grants broad standing.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-MINNESOTA

Minnesota tops 1 million COVID cases since start of pandemic

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota has topped a million cases of the coronavirus since the pandemic began in March of 2020. The state Department of Health confirmed 4,155 new cases, lifting the total number of infections to 1,000,361. The figures released Monday do not include cases from the holiday weekend, which are expected to be updated Tuesday. Minnesota’s case count includes nearly 12,800 people who have become infected with COVID-19 more than once. Johns Hopkins University researchers report that there has been 703 new virus cases per 100,000 people in Minnesota over the past two weeks. That ranks 21st in the country for new cases per capita.

CHRISTMAS CRASH

Minneapolis officers hurt in Christmas night traffic stop

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Three police officers are recovering from injuries they suffered trying to stop a stolen vehicle on Christmas night. WCCO-TV reports the officers were tracking the vehicle using GPS on Saturday evening. They stopped the car in south-central Minneapolis around 8:15 p.m. One officer approached the driver’s window. Another approached the passenger side. The driver suddenly threw the vehicle into reverse and crashed into the officers’ squad car. The officer on the passenger side was dragged. A passenger in the stolen vehicle got out, was cited and released. Three officers suffered minor injuries. The vehicle was later found abandoned. The driver remains at large.

WINTER WEATHER

Winter storm smacks North Dakota, Minnesota with ice, snow

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A winter storm is making life in North Dakota and Minnesota tough. The Bismarck Tribune reports that the storm closed Interstate 94 between Bismarck and Fargo and Interstate 29 from Grand Forks to the South Dakota border on Monday morning. The entire interstate system in the state had reopened by 4 p.m. Authorities were still advising people not to travel across much of the state and complained that motorists were getting stuck on secondary roads that were not plowed. Many county offices were closed expect for emergency services. The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports that roads and sidewalks in the Twin Cities are icy. Grand Marais had recorded 13 inches of new snow.

TORNADO CONFIRMATIONS

National Weather Service confirms storm spawned 8 tornadoes

MILWAUKEE (AP) — The National Weather Service has confirmed a rare December wind storm spawned eight tornadoes across west-central Wisconsin. The Dec. 15 storm swept across multiple states. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported Sunday that the storm produced three EF-2 tornadoes, three EF-1 tornadoes and two EF-0 tornadoes. The EF-2s touched down in Clark County and in Stanley, a city in Chippewa and Clark counties. An EF-1 touched down in Homer, Minnesota, before ending on a Mississippi River island on the Wisconsin side. The other EF-1s touched down in Levis, along the Trempealeau and Jackson County line and in Clark County. The EF-0s touched down in Eau Claire County and in the village of Trempealeau.

UM-BUDGET REQUEST

University of Minnesota asks state for nearly $1 billion

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The University of Minnesota is asking legislators for almost $1 billion in funding next year. The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports that the $935 million request includes $473 million to upgrade infrastructure at five campuses; $185 million for campus security and sustainability projects, such as solar power generation; and $65 million to expand student scholarships. The request comes with the state sitting on a historic $7.7 billion budget surplus. The larger Minnesota State system of 30 community colleges and seven universities wants about $353 million from lawmakers next year. Republican Jason Rarick, vice chairman of the state Senate’s higher education committee, said he supports more money for scholarships and campus police but he wants to scrutinize administrator pay.

MOORHEAD SHOOTING

Man shot multiple times in Moorhead expected to survive

MOORHEAD, Minn. (AP) — Police responding to a report of man down in a Moorhead street discovered a victim with multiple gunshot wounds. Authorities say the incident happened about 7 a.m. Monday when the Fargo-Moorhead metropolitan area was experiencing a winter storm warning. Several people in a nearby apartment were questioned by police. The victim was transported to a nearby hospital to be treated for non-life threatening wounds. A condition report was not available. No arrests had been made as of late Monday afternoon. Police say the investigation shows there is no danger to the public and it was not a random act.

SUBURBAN SHOOTINGS

Two people found dead in Robbinsdale home, suspect captured

ROBBINSDALE, Minn. (AP) — Two people have been found shot to death in a suburban Minneapolis home. The Star Tribune reports a family member arrived at the home in Robbinsdale on Sunday afternoon and found a man and a woman dead. Police say they’ve arrested an adult suspect and the shootings apparently were not random. They’ve released no other information. The victims have yet to be identified.