WINTRY WEATHER
Snow and ice cited in NE Minnesota crash that killed 2
DULUTH, Minn. (AP) — Wintry weather carrying strong winds, snow and icy conditions may have contributed to a highway crash in northeastern Minnesota that killed a woman and an 11-year-old boy. The Minnesota State Patrol cited snow and icy roads in a fatal crash Thursday afternoon on Highway 135 in St. Louis County. A Toyota Corolla carrying four people was westbound when it lost control and crossed the center line, struck a Toyota Yaris and was then struck by a Chevy Malibu. Another vehicle then rear-ended the Chevy. Two people in the Corolla, 11-year-old Dakota Smith and 32-year-old Betty Smith, died in the crash. Two other children in the car were injured as well as the driver of the Malibu.
TAVARIS JACKSON-CHILD SUPPORT
Court to hear support case against Tavaris Jackson estate
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — The Alabama Supreme Court says a Minnesota woman seeking more than $360,000 in child support from the estate of one-time NFL quarterback Tavaris Jackson can pursue her claim before an appeals court. Jackson was living near Montgomery when he died in a car wreck and Jessa Roginski asked an Alabama court to enforce an order for $2,112 a month in support. A judge refused and she appealed to the Supreme Court. Justices there say the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals should hear the case.
CAMERAS IN COURTS
Court panel reconvenes in January on video trial coverage
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A state court advisory committee will take a closer look in January at key issues in whether to allow more video coverage of criminal trial proceedings in Minnesota. Chief Justice Lorie Gildea directed the panel to study the issue after coverage of the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in the death of George Floyd got widespread national viewership. At a meeting Friday, the panel said it will discuss rules for streaming and broadcasting proceedings such as trial testimony and verdicts when it reconvenes Jan. 14. The panel is due to report by next July. Media organizations have been pushing for greater access court proceedings.
BIDEN-JUSTICE NOMINEES
White House nominates 10 for US Marshals, US attorney posts
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is nominating its first set of U.S. Marshals, including the first Black man to serve as the U.S. Marshal in Minnesota, along with a slate of other historic firsts for U.S. attorney posts across the nation. The Justice Department’s 93 U.S. attorneys, who are responsible for federal criminal prosecutions in their respective districts, are likely to be central to efforts to combat violent crime. The White House says the 10 candidates were “chosen for their devotion to enforcing the law” and commitment to the independence of the Justice Department. The announcement also means Biden has now nominated 37 people to serve as U.S. attorneys.
MOTHER-CHILDREN KILLED
St. Paul man pleads guilty to killing ex-girlfriend, 2 kids
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — A St. Paul man has pleaded guilty to killing his ex-girlfriend and her two children last January. According to prosecutors, 27-year-old TeKeith Jones admitted killing 30-year-old D’Zondria Wallace, 14-year-old La’Porsha Wallace and 11-year-old Ja’Corbie Wallace. Jones is scheduled for sentencing Nov. 23 in Ramsey County Circuit Court. Prosecutors say they will ask that Jones be given consecutive sentences for the slayings, which could send him to prison for 72 years. Jones claimed he shot the children to save them from their mother and then pointed upward and said he sent them up to “be holy.”
RACIST VIDEO-INVESTIGATION
Police investigating racist video targeting Prior Lake frosh
PRIOR LAKE, Minn. (AP) — Police say they have been investigating a racist video targeting a Black freshman at a suburban Twin Cities high school. The announcement came after hundreds of students and community members showed up to Prior Lake High School to support the 14-year-old girl. School leaders had cancelled classes early, citing safety concerns with the protest. The video, which had been shared widely on social media early this week, appears to include two girls making racist remarks mixed in with obscenities. Nya Sigin, the target of the video, says another classmate shared it with her on Monday night. She says it was the “most disgusting thing” she has ever witnessed. Savage Police Chief Rodney Seurer calls it a “horrific, hateful, racist” video.
VETERANS-MINNESOTA
Leaders stress need for more veterans centers in Minnesota
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Four Minnesota political leaders have toured a veterans center in St. Paul, while calling for better access to mental health care and readjustment services for those who have served in the military. Gov. Tim Walz, U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar and U.S. Reps. Angie Craig and Dean Phillips made the visit on Veterans Day. They wanted to highlight the value of centers like the three in Minnesota for helping veterans get the support they need, such as counseling, employment assistance and referrals for other services. They’re backing legislation aimed at establishing more veterans centers across the country.
GRAY WOLVES-PROTECTIONS
Fight over US wolf protections goes before federal judge
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — U.S. government attorneys have asked a federal judge to uphold a decision from the waning days of the Trump administration that lifted protections for gray wolves across most of the country. The request during a Friday hearing before U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White in California came as officials in Republican-led states including Wisconsin, Montana and Idaho have sought to drive down wolf numbers through aggressive hunting and trapping. Wildlife advocates say the hunts threaten to reverse the gray wolf’s recovery to large parts of the West and Midwest over the past several decades. They want a protections restored for wolves under the Endangered Species Act. Judge Jeffrey White did not immediately rule.
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