ALERT :
- 6/18/13; West Hancock vs. Corwith Wesley Luverne Baseball will play varsity first at 5:45 p.m. No JV. :
MN News
SPCO-LOCKOUT SPCO cancels more concerts as lockout continues ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Management at the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra has canceled all concerts through February 8th. The orchestra’s musicians and managers have spent months battling over contract concessions. The old contract expired September 30th and management locked out the musicians October 21st, canceling concerts through December 31st. In a statement Monday SPCO President Dobson West says management wants a counterproposal from musicians. With no indication when the counteroffer might come, and with no further negotiations scheduled, he says the additional cancellations could not be delayed. Last week, the SPCO announced a deficit of $895,080 for the fiscal year that ended June 30th. The Minnesota Orchestra has not played any concerts this season because of its own lock-out. The orchestra is expected to announce next week whether it will cancel concerts for January.
MINNESOTA LEGISLATURE-LOOKAHEAD Bipartisanship still elusive at Minn. Capitol ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – There’s a lot on the agenda when Minnesota lawmakers return to St. Paul next month, but no strong indication that bipartisanship will be the new standard. The men who will hold the Capitol’s five most important jobs met Monday for a discussion sponsored by Forum Communications. The Democrats are Governor Mark Dayton along with incoming House Speaker Paul Thissen (TEE-sen) and new Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk (BAHK’). They were joined by new Republican leaders, Representative Kurt Daudt (DOWT’) in the House and Senator David Hann in the Senate. Democrats will be in charge come January, and their leaders say they want to collaborate with Republicans. But both Hann and Daudt say Democrats will be able to enact an agenda themselves, and questioned if there would be room for Republicans.
CAMPAIGN BOARD FEES New fees could fall on Minn. lobbyists, candidates ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – A Minnesota campaign finance oversight board is weighing whether to impose new fees on lobbyists, candidates and political parties to address budget strains within the regulatory agency. The fees discussed Monday are a backup plan if lawmakers balk a request for increased funding from the state’s general treasury. Campaign board members and staff freely acknowledged that required annual fees could face free-speech court challenges or discourage political participation. The six-member board gravitated toward a recommendation urging Governor Mark Dayton and legislators to use general tax dollars for a $1 million a year operating budget. The board also authorized staff members to devise a fee structure to present to the Legislature as an alternative. Preliminary proposals suggest fees that could generate $250,000 to $350,000 a year.
MIDWEST STORM-FINALLY SNOW Snowfall boon for Upper Midwest outdoors fans MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – After enduring a snowless winter, skiers and snowmobilers are rejoicing after a December storm dumped up to 16 inches of snow on parts of the Upper Midwest. John Munger of Minneapolis says he took to Theodore Wirth Park to cross-country ski as the snow was falling Sunday. Munger heads a foundation dedicated to promoting cross-country skiing, and says it’s been a tough year-and-a-half for cross-country skiers without any snow. At Lutsen (LOOT’-sehn) Mountains 90 miles northeast of Duluth, marketing director Jim Vick says you could “hear the hoots and hollers” as skiers went down the slopes. Twin Cities hardware stores co-owner Mike Frattallone (frat-uh-LOH’-nee) says his stores are selling a lot of snow shovels, ice melt and snowblowers.
INMATE-TB LAWSUIT Jury awards $590,600 to ex-inmate who had TB (Information in the following story is from: Star Tribune, http://www.startribune.com) ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – A jury has awarded $590,600 to a former Ramsey County inmate who became gravely ill with tuberculosis in custody A federal jury determined Monday that public health nurse Mary Clausen was “deliberately indifferent” to the plight of Marchello McCaster, who lost 44 pounds while serving a 56-day sentence in 2008. McCaster was coughing and visibly ill, but the county contended he never complained of symptoms indicating TB. His attorney, Robert Bennett, tells the Star Tribune the award is half for compensation and half for punitive damages. He says the county will cover it because the nurse was a county employee. Ramsey County settled an earlier lawsuit by inmates exposed to McCaster’s TB for about $16 million. County attorney’s office spokesman Dennis Gerhardstein says they’re disappointed and reviewing their options.
FATAL CRASH-MANKATO Mankato man sentenced to four years for fatal crash (Information from: The Free Press, http://www.mankatofreepress.com) MANKATO, Minn. (AP) – A Minnesota man made a tearful plea for leniency before a judge sentenced him to just over four years in prison for a crash that killed two people. Twenty-four-year-old Mark Chalin of Mankato sobbed Monday as he said he’d trade his life for the lives of his victims “in a heartbeat.” The August 2011 crash killed his girlfriend, 23-year-old Amber Menzes, and the other driver, 35-year-old Jonna Martin of Lakefield. Witnesses had said that Menzes was having sex with Chalin while he was driving before the crash. The Free Press of Mankato reports the courtroom was dead silent when Judge Bradley Walker handed down a sentence of 50 months, with the possibility of supervised release after about three years. He implored everyone present to think about how someone’s life can change in an instant.