MN News

HOSPITAL THEFT-PATIENTS INFECTED        Minn. hospital, ex-nurse sued over siphoned drugs        (Information in the following story is from: St. Cloud Times, http://www.sctimes.com)        ST. CLOUD, Minn. (AP) – A spokeswoman for St. Cloud Hospital says the medical facility believes no patients were substantially harmed by a former nurse’s drug diversion program. But four people who were treated there are proceeding with a lawsuit.        The former patients accuse the hospital and former nurse Blake Zenner of negligence. The lawsuits in Stearns County court allege the four patients developed bloodstream infections because of Zenner’s drug diversion and that the infections led to high fevers and pain. Zenner admitting siphoning pain medication from IV bags for personal use.        St. Cloud Hospital spokeswoman Jeanine Nistler tells the St. Cloud Times the four patients who are suing opted not to meet with the hospital and to pursue legal action instead.        Zenner pleaded guilty to stealing the painkiller medication and has surrendered his nursing license.  His attorney says Zenner is working to resolve the lawsuits.

ST PAUL POLICE-MUSLIM GARB        St. Paul cop apologizes for Muslim clothing photo        ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – A St. Paul police officer has apologized for a photograph showing him dressed as a Muslim woman.        The St. Paul Police Department issued a statement Tuesday on behalf of Officer Robert Buth (booth). Buth says the photo shows him at a private Halloween party on his own time, and was never intended to become public.        Buth says he regrets the image “may have been viewed to be insensitive to the Muslim community.”        St. Paul Police Chief Tom Smith also issued a statement, saying he believes Buth’s apology is sincere.        A police spokesman says Buth is still assigned to the K-9 unit, and an investigation continues.        Mukhtar Ibrahim, a journalist in Washington, D.C., had directed a tweet at the St. Paul Police Twitter account over the weekend, asking about the photo.

WIFE DISMEMBERMENT-MINNESOTA        Indictment sought in Minn. wife dismemberment        (Information in the following story is from: Star Tribune, http://www.startribune.com)        ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – A prosecutor plans to seek first-degree murder charges against a St. Paul man accused of dismembering his wife.        The Star Tribune reports 34-year-old Steven Roger Johnson appeared in court Tuesday ready to “resolve” his case. But Ramsey County Attorney John Choi is seeking first-degree murder charges from a grand jury.        Johnson is currently charged with second degree murder. He’s being held on $2 million bail.        Charges allege Johnson fatally shot and dismembered his 32-year-old wife, Manya Jewel Johnson, in their home Jan. 6 after she announced plans to leave him and take their son. The complaint alleges Johnson placed her remains in plastic bins and stored them in a friend’s garage in White Bear Lake.        The complaint says the friend alerted police after Johnson told him what he’d done.

GREAT LAKES LEVELS        2 Great Lakes hit lowest water level on record        TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) – Two of the Great Lakes have hit their lowest water levels ever recorded.        The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said Tuesday that tests taken in January show that Lake Huron and Lake Michigan were at their lowest ebb since record keeping began in 1918.        The lakes were 29 inches below their long-term average and had declined 17 inches since January 2012. The other Great Lakes – Superior, Erie and Ontario – were also well below average.        Scientists say the drought and other natural forces, along with dredging of rivers that drain from the lakes, have contributed to the level drops.        Low water causes heavy economic losses by forcing cargo ships to carry lighter loads, leaving boat docks high and dry, and damaging fish spawning areas.

CANDY THIEVES-ASSAULT WEAPON        Minn. dad pleads guilty in candy confrontation        (Information in the following story is from: WCCO-TV, http://www.wcco.com)        MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – A father has pleaded guilty to aiming an assault rifle at some youngsters he thought had stolen Halloween candy from one of his children.        Orrin Hager pleaded guilty Monday to one felony count of second-degree assault in connection with the incident in St. Louis Park.        The Hennepin County Attorney’s office says Hager pulled up to a group of children last November. The children said Hager began yelling at them and then produced an AK-47 assault rifle.        Investigators say Hager told them he pulled out the gun because he thought the boys weren’t taking him seriously. No one was hurt.        WCCO-TV (http://cbsloc.al/14PxTpE) reports Hager will be sentenced Feb. 26.

3M-DIVIDEND        3M boosts dividend, adds to share buyback pool        MAPLEWOOD, Minn. (AP) – 3M Co., which makes Scotch tape, building supplies and other items, is increasing its dividend 8 percent and will add more money to a fund for share repurchases.        The new dividend, payable in March, will be 63.5 cents, up from 59 cents.        3M also said Tuesday that it will boost its share repurchase program to $7.5 billion, replacing an old pool that had $7 billion. That program had $3.2 billion that had not been used as of the end of September, according to an earlier 3M regulatory filing.        Buybacks can return profits to shareholders, giving them a bigger slice of the shares that remain. They also offset the effect of using shares to compensate employees.        Shares of the St. Paul, Minn., company rose 1.5 percent to $102.99 in aftermarket trading.

MNSCU-UNION-CONTRACT        MnSCU, union reach tentative contract agreement        ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Negotiators have reached tentative agreement on a contract covering non-teaching faculty who work at Minnesota’s seven state universities.        The agreement was announced Tuesday by the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system and the Minnesota State University Association of Administrative and Service Faculty. The proposed contract would cover the two-year period ending June 30, 2013.        Details will not be released until the union presents the proposal to its members and holds a ratification vote. If approved by membership, the proposal will go to the MnSCU (MINN’-skew) Board of Trustees for approval. The agreement also needs legislative approval before taking effect.        Union President Adam Klepetar is recommending ratification.        The union represents 800 members who work in such areas as admissions, academic affairs and financial aid.

SUNDAY LIQUOR SALES        State senator renews push for Sunday liquor sales        ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – A Duluth lawmaker is pushing a bill that would legalize liquor sales on Sundays, even though he admits its chances are slim.        Sen. Roger Reinert says consumers have wanted the change for years, the Star Tribune reports.        The bill’s opponents, including the Minnesota Licensed Beverage Association, say the change would cause problems for liquor stores.        Sunday liquor sales come up every year at the Capitol, but have found little success. Reinert tried the same bill in 2011, but it stalled after passing one committee. A Republican-backed amendment to a liquor bill that would have legalized Sunday sales last year failed.        Minnesota is one of 12 states that still outlaw Sunday liquor sales. All of Minnesota’s neighboring states allow it.

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