NEW DIOCESE BISHOP-CROOKSTON

New Bishop of Crookston says victims of sexual abuse come first

CROOKSTON, Minnesota (AP) – The new bishop of the Diocese of Crookston says he has learned important lessons about how the Roman Catholic Church should respond to abuse from priests. Bishop Andrew Cozzens replaces Bishop Michael Hoeppner, who resigned earlier this year at the behest of Pope Francis after an investigation to determine whether he had covered up sexual abuse in the Diocese of Crookston. Cozzens began his previous work as Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis just days before a sexual abuse investigation became public. He says he has seen how difficult it can be to change the culture of the church in order to cope with the sexual abuse crisis. He says victims of abuse should be the church’s priority.

AIR GUARD-NEW COMMANDER

First woman to lead state Air National Guard takes office

ST. PAUL, Minnesota (AP) – The first woman to lead the Minnesota Air National Guard has officially taken office. Command Chief Master Sgt. Lisa Erikson is the oldest enlisted member of the Minnesota Air Guard. She is in charge of around 2,000 airmen in two separate squadrons and at command headquarters. Erikson has 32 years of service in the Air Force and has held six different service positions. She began her career as a jet engine mechanic on the C-141 cargo plane. At one point, she was in charge of the 148th Medical Group deployed to Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, in Operation Enduring Freedom.

MINNESOTA VIRUS OUTBREAK

Minnesota Gives Kids Gift Cards and Shooting Bursaries

ST. PAUL, Minnesota (AP) – Minnesota will be offering $ 200 gift cards and a chance for five $ 100,000 scholarships as incentives for students aged 12 to 17 to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Governor Tim Walz announced the incentives on Monday. Youth who begin and complete their vaccine series within the next six weeks will be eligible for Visa gift cards. But all Minnesotans aged 12 to 17 who have completed their round of vaccines anytime by mid-December are eligible for the scholarships, which will be good at any public or private nonprofit school in the state. The five draws will take place each week starting November 15th. Registrations open on November 9.

DEATHS OF TRAFFIC-MINNESOTA

Minnesota nears 400 road fatalities this year, surpassing 2020

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Minnesota public safety officials say nearly 400 people have died in traffic crashes on Minnesota’s roads this year, putting the state on the brink of the highest number of fatalities on the road since 2007. Officials say there were 384 traffic jam deaths in 2021. That’s a 23% increase from the same period last year. At the current rate, Minnesota could see about 475 road fatalities this year – the most the state has recorded since 2007, when 510 people died on Minnesota roads. Speed ​​was the biggest factor in the deaths this year.

TRIAL OF OFFICER GEORGE FLOYD

Derek Chauvin hires a lawyer to represent him on appeal

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Derek Chauvin has hired a lawyer to represent him as he appeals his murder conviction in the death of George Floyd. Lawyer William Mohrman filed a document with the court on Friday saying he would represent Chauvin on appeal. It comes after the Minnesota Supreme Court rejected Chauvin’s request to use a public defender in the appeal process, saying a review of his debts and assets shows he is ineligible. Mohrman is a partner of Mohrman, Kaardal & Erickson, a law firm that has been involved in cases challenging the 2020 presidential election results and COVID-19 vaccine mandates for healthcare workers.

CONSTRUCTION DEATH

Authorities reveal name of woman killed in construction zone

COOPERSTOWN, ND (AP) – Authorities have released the name of the road construction worker who was struck by a dump truck and killed while at a construction site in the community of Cooperstown, ON eastern North Dakota. The Highway Patrol said Melissa McMahon, 50, of Odessa, Minnesota, died in the incident on Friday night. Highway Patrol said the truck was backing up to pour asphalt on the roadway when McMahon was hit. She was pronounced dead at the scene. The highway patrol is investigating.

ENBRIDGE-LINE 3

Enbridge misses Minnesota aquifer cleanup deadline

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Enbridge missed a deadline set by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to clean up a site where an aquifer ruptured during construction of the Line 3 pipeline. to the company until Friday to repair damage to the artesian aquifer near Clearbrook. Regulators will demand compensation for the extra time it takes to stop the flow of groundwater. The Star Tribune reports that regulators are also investigating two other sites where the company may have caused further damage to groundwater. Enbridge spokesperson Julie Kellner said the company is “fully cooperating” with MNR. Line 3 begins in Alberta, Canada, and cuts through a corner of North Dakota before crossing Minnesota on its way to the Enbridge terminal in Superior, Wisconsin.

DYLAN TRIBUTES

New artistic tribute to Dylan on display outside Minnesota school

HIBBING, Minnesota (AP) – A public art tribute to Bob Dylan has been unveiled at Hibbing in hopes of inspiring a new generation of young artists. The exhibit of Iron Range Town’s most famous resident is located outside Hibbing High School, where 80-year-old Dylan graduated from 1959. On one side of the screen, a brick wall features the announcement of the Nobel Prize for Literature that Dylan received in 2016. The opposite side of the wall features a series of stainless steel panels containing the lyrics of more than 50 of his songs. The Hibbing Dylan Project volunteer group spent five years and raised around $ 100,000 to design and build the tribute.

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