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GEORGE FLOYD-AMERICA PROTESTS-MEDIA

Minnesota State Patrol purged messages after Floyd protests

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Court testimony shows that the Minnesota State Patrol purged emails and texts messages immediately after protests over the death George Floyd during which the agency is accused of targeting journalists. Attorneys for the Minnesota chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union say the purge of messages has made it nearly impossible to track the State Patrol’s behavior, as investigators try to determine whether law enforcement used improper force on demonstrators. The information came out during a July 28 hearing in a lawsuit that alleges the State Patrol targeted journalists. A transcript of the hearing was posted on the court docket on Friday. State Patrol spokesman Bruce Gordon says officers follow all data retention requirements.

WATER EMERGENCY-MINNEAPOLIS

2 children pulled from Minneapolis lake, taken to hospital

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Two children were rushed to a hospital after they were pulled from a Minneapolis lake. The Minneapolis Fire Department says one of the kids is 11 and one is either 12 or 13. Both were initially unconscious and had no pulse when they were pulled from Lake Nokomis on Monday. After CPR was started, the older child regained a pulse and began breathing. Additional information on their conditions was not immediately available.

DROUGHT-BLACK BEARS

Bear sightings on rise as they seek food amid drought

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Black bear sightings are on the rise in Minnesota, as this summer’s drought has made it harder for the bears to find the food they need to prepare for hibernation. This time of year, Minnesota’s black bears are trying to eat as many as 10,000 to 15,000 calories a day. They start to feed nocturnally and for longer periods of time on nutrition-rich acorns, hazelnuts and berries — food sources that are harder to find because of the drought. A bear project leader with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources says it’s important to be respectful of the animals and give them space.

WILDFIRES-MINNESOTA

Weekend rain helps contain northeast Minnesota wildfires

ISABELLA, Minn. (AP) — Cooler temperatures and weekend rain showers helped fire crews who are working to contain wildfires in northeast Minnesota. As of Sunday the Greenwood Fire burning west of Isabella remained at just over 26,000 acres and was 37% contained. Meanwhile the two largest fires burning within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness also remained quiet over the weekend. The John Ek Fire and the nearby Whelp Fire are considered to be completely uncontained, but crews have been working to set up contingency lines and sprinkler systems to create a defense in case the fires spread.Parts of the BWCA and the Superior National Forest closest to the fires remain closed.

2010 HOMICIDE-INDICTMENT

Twin Cities man indicted for allegedly killing wife in 2010

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — A Ramsey County grand jury has indicted a man accused of killing his wife in St. Paul more than a decade ago. Nicholas Firkus, of Mounds View, was arrested in May on suspicion of killing 25-year-old Heidi Firkus on April 25, 2010. The St. Paul Pioneer Press reports that the 38-year-old Firkus was indicted Wednesday on charges of first-degree murder and one count of second-degree murder. A grand jury is typically used if the offense is punishable by life in prison. Nicholas Firkus told police that someone broke into their home that day and grabbed his shotgun, after which the two struggled over the weapon. Firkus said the gun fired, killing his wife, and he was injured in the leg when it went off a second time.

POLICE PURSUIT-FATAL CRASH

1 dead, 1 injured after police pursue alleged street racers

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (AP) — Authorities say one person is dead and another is hospitalized after an apparent single-vehicle crash that followed a police pursuit in a Twin Cities suburb. Eden Prairie police responded to a report about 1:40 a.m. Sunday of vehicles racing, after which several vehicles fled the scene. Officers lost sight of one vehicle they were chasing as it passed under Interstate 494. The vehicle was later found crashed in Minnetonka. One man was declared dead at the scene and a woman in the vehicle was taken to a hospital. The extent of her injuries are not known. A neighbor who heard the crash told WCCO-TV that street racing is common in the area on the weekends.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-MINNESOTA

Parents of Minnesota students file suit seeking mask mandate

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Some parents of students at Minnesota K-12 schools that have not required face coverings have filed a lawsuit asking the governor to enact a statewide mask mandate because of the spike in COVID-19 cases. The complaint filed in Ramsey County Friday by a group calling itself “Parents Advocating for Safe Schools” cites a provision in the Minnesota Constitution regarding rights of students to receive an “adequate” education. Minnesota Public Radio news reports that the suit seeks a court order requiring Walz to declare a new peacetime emergency to address the pandemic and issue an executive order that all school districts and schools in the state “impose and enforce a mask mandate.” A spokesman for Walz says the governor is reviewing the complaint.

AP-US-WESTERN-WILDFIRES-ABANDONED-ADVENTURES

Wildfires, smoke snuff out outdoor adventures across US

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Wildfires burning in the U.S. this summer have upended plans for countless outdoor adventures. Campers, hikers, rafters and other outdoor enthusiasts have had to scrap or change trips or endure thick smoke. One retired attorney and teacher from the Philadelphia area has twice canceled plans because of wildfires. He had planned to hike a section of the Pacific Crest Trail in California that closed because of the second-largest fire in state history. His backup plan to canoe a massive network of lakes on the Minnesota-Canada border also was sunk by fire. All national forests in California are closed to prioritize fighting fires.