MN News

MINNESOTA ORCHESTRA-LOCKOUT        Minn. Orchestra cancels more concerts        (Information in the following story is from: Minnesota Public Radio News, http://www.mpr.org)        MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – The Minnesota Orchestra is canceling more concerts as a musicians lockout continues.        The orchestra on Monday canceled two more concerts in the third week of February, postponed another until next year and transferred a fourth to another promoter.        Minnesota Public Radio News reports the moves come as the contract dispute between management and musicians remains unresolved, despite recent talks.        Orchestra management locked out its musicians last October 1st after the old contract expired. A federal mediator is currently overseeing contract talks.        A spokesman for the musicians union had no comment on the latest concert cancellations.

LEGISLATURE-SILICA SAND        Minn. lawmakers push for silica-sand mining study        (Information in the following story is from: Post-Bulletin, http://www.postbulletin.com)        ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – The fight over silica-sand mining in southeastern Minnesota is moving to the state Capitol.        Republican state Representative Tim Kelly of Red Wing says he will push for a more extensive review of the potential effect of silica-sand mining.        Kelly supports the idea of a statewide environmental impact statement and a temporary moratorium on sand mining while the study is completed.        The sand is used for “fracking,” a process to fracture rock to release oil or gas. Several counties in southeastern Minnesota have passed temporary moratoriums on silica-sand mining as officials weigh the potential effects, including heavy truck traffic.        Republican state Representative Steve Drazkowski of Mazeppa says that local policymakers already are able to get the information they need from state agencies to make decisions.

LEGISLATURE-TRACKING DATA        Minn. lawmaker wants non-criminal data tossed        (Information in the following story is from: Star Tribune, http://www.startribune.com)        ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – A Minnesota House committee chairman says police should not be storing license plate tracking information on law-abiding citizens.        DFL state Representative John Lesch of St. Paul says he doesn’t think police or government “has any business” holding information on people who are not part of an active investigation.        Lesch chairs a House civil law committee and is a St. Paul criminal prosecutor. He tells the Star Tribune that he expects legislation on license plate readers to be introduced in the next two weeks.        Police across Minnesota regularly employ license plate readers to catch criminals in real-time by automatically checking vehicles against state databases.        But those readers also store exact location information on millions of regular vehicles. The information is stored in public databases that are subject to open records requests.

CASINO PAYMENTS        Court upholds ending casino payments to Duluth        (Information in the following story is from: Duluth News Tribune, http://www.duluthsuperior.com)        DULUTH, Minn. (AP) – A federal appeals panel agrees the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa no longer has to give the city of Duluth a cut of its casino profits.        The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Monday upheld a 2011 ruling ending casino payments to Duluth.        But the panel reversed U.S. District Court Judge Susan Nelson’s ruling that the band must pay the city $12.4 million it has withheld since the dispute over casino revenue began in 2009. The Duluth News Tribune reports that issue was sent back to Nelson.        The band had been sending the city 19 percent of its video game profits since it opened its Duluth casino, Fond-du-Luth, in 1986.        Duluth City Attorney Gunnar Johnson plans to ask the full appeals court to review the ruling.

MINNESOTA OFFICER KILLED        Man released in cop death appears in stalking case        (Information in the following story is from: St. Cloud Times, http://www.sctimes.com)        BUFFALO, Minn. (AP) – A man who was arrested but not charged in the killing of a Cold Spring police officer has surrendered on charges he stalked his ex-girlfriend.        The St. Cloud Times reports 34-year-old Ryan Larson turned himself in to sheriff’s officials Sunday to face charges of felony stalking and misdemeanor violation of a restraining order.        Larson appeared in court Monday and was released from Wright County Jail on bail. His next court appearance is scheduled for January 24th.        Larson has told the Times he did not stalk the woman.        Larson initially was arrested the night Officer Tom Decker was shot to death behind a Cold Spring bar on Nov. 29. He spent four days in jail before being released without being charged. He has maintained his innocence in Decker’s death.

STOLEN ART-INSURANCE CLAIM        Minn. man sentenced for false insurance claim        ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – A St. Paul man has been sentenced for filing a false insurance claim for artwork he had reported as stolen.        Thirty-nine-year-old Jason Sheedy was sentenced Monday in federal court to three years probation on one count of wire fraud.        Sheedy also must pay $352,000 in restitution and serve 500 hours of community service.        In his plea agreement, Scheedy admitted coming up with a scheme to defraud AXA Art Insurance Corporation. The insurance company insures artwork and other items of historic value.        Prosecutors say Sheedy filed a nearly $275,000 insurance claim over art and other valuables he reported as stolen in 2007. He collected $254,000 from AXA.        But the insurer later documented that some of the works Sheedy listed for sale on Artbrokerage.com were the same ones it had insured.

FEC COMMISSIONER-MINNESOTA        Federal election regulator takes Minn. assignment        ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – A federal election regulator is leaving Washington for a post in Minnesota government.        Cynthia Bauerly is resigning her seat on the Federal Election Commission to become a deputy commissioner in the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development.        Bauerly is a Minnesota native, with roots in Benton County and a degree from Concordia College in Moorhead.        Bauerly, who for a time was FEC chairwoman, leaves that post Feb. 1 and begins her new assignment on February 25th. The Department of Employment and Economic development oversees trade, business recruitment and other workforce programs for the state.

UNITED AIRLINES-DISCRIMINATION LAWSUIT        Suit: United discriminated against Muslim couple        MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – A Muslim couple is suing United Airlines for alleged racial discrimination after they were asked to leave a Minnesota-bound flight in 2011.        Mohammed Al Mulhim and his wife, Dalal Almulhim, sued United and regional carrier United Express in federal court last week.        The couple says they were newlyweds who bought tickets to fly on United from Washington’s Dulles International Airport to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport on September 10th, 2011.        After they were on board, a United agent told the couple they had to leave the plane because of a problem with their bags. The bags ended up going to Minneapolis while the couple stayed behind.        The couple alleges they were humiliated and are seeking damages.        A United representative says the airline does not tolerate discrimination and will review the claims.

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