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MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – A 41-year-old Darwin man who was caught driving more than 145 mph in his Ford Mustang GT said he was “airing it out,” according to the Minnesota State Patrol. Authorities said Richard Bernhagen was clocked at 148 mph on July 17 on Tagus Avenue, a county road just outside of Hutchinson, Minn.

Pajamas Media | Friday, December 12, 2008 The funeral for Shirwa Ahmed last week in Burnsville, Minnesota, punctuated a growing national security threat metastasizing inside the U.S. — one Homeland Security and law enforcement authorities have quickly taken note of. Ahmed, who killed himself in a suicide bombing attack in Somalia in October, is just one of up to 40 men from the Twin Cities area who have disappeared and are feared to have returned to their homeland for training with the al-Shabaab terrorist group to wage jihad. The FBI is investigating similar disappearances in other major Somali communities in...

Two Inver Grove Heights men are facing felony drug charges after authorities busted them with almost six pounds of cocaine — far more than was seized in the county in all of 2012 — and two pounds of meth with a combined value of about $150,000, the Dakota County attorney’s office said. Mike Sanchez, 27, and Josue I. Ledezma-Lopez, 22, were each charged Thursday with two counts of first-degree controlled substance crimes. They are being held in the county jail on $500,000 bail. The criminal complaint said the Dakota County Drug Task Force learned that Sanchez was trafficking in large...

Former TV news anchor Don Shelby said Thursday he has been approached by national Democratic campaign officials to run against Republican U.S. Rep. Erik Paulsen but hasn't made up his mind. He said he was flattered by the interest but added, "I've absolutely made no decision" about a campaign for the seat in Minnesota's 3rd Congressional District. The former WCCO journalist said he has been approached over the years by three different parties to run for various offices, "so this didn't seem unusual to me that I was approached now that I'm retired."

Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton said Wednesday that the Florida case involving Trayvon Martin's death in a scuffle with a neighborhood watch volunteer has stiffened his opposition to efforts to expand cases where lethal force is presumed legitimate. Dayton commented on last weekend's acquittal of George Zimmerman in the fatal shooting of Martin in 2012. Dayton said while he isn't privy to evidence jurors in the case saw, he personally believes Zimmerman "went way beyond what was called for in the situation." He tied the case to proposals recently before lawmakers to expand Minnesota's stand-your-ground law in which people can use...

There are major flaws in the state's new $70 million accounting system known as "S.W.I.F.T." That is the assessment of the top auditor of Minnesota State Government. Legislative Auditor James Nobles tells 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS that the accounting system created serious delays in getting financial reports put together. Nobles says Minnesota missed its deadline and violated federal law when it did not get its final audits of all state agencies submitted to the Federal Government on time. Nobles says he is concerned that the accounting system problems are persisting even though "we have had several years to prepare for this...

Potential for fraud, waste, and abuse. The state short-changing itself millions of dollars. And a lack of oversight that's been going on for years. A scathing audit released Thursday, July 11, finds systemic problems at the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) that still haven't been fixed -- more than two years after a 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS investigation brought them to light. DHS oversees about $9 billion in total Medicaid spending; and another $1.4 billion in federal funds for welfare, child care assistance, as well as several other programs. Auditors say the state simply isn't doing a good enough job...

Increase in bear activity prompts closure of Sand Island in northwestern Wisconsin black bear- Photo courtesy of the Wisconsin DNRA DNR warden got this 2012 photo of a Wisconsin black bear in the northwoods. DULUTH, Minn. - Part of a national park in northwestern Wisconsin having problems with increased bear activity could be closed for as long as two weeks. Apostle Islands National Lakeshore officials had to close Sand Island on Wednesday after a bear entered campsites and even a beached boat. No one has been hurt. Superintendent Bob Krumenaker said they are hoping the closure conditions the bear to...

While states such as Indiana and Tennessee recently have eliminated wealth-transfer taxes, Minnesota is doubling down. A state gift tax, scheduled to take effect Monday, makes Minnesota only the second state in the country to tax large gifts between residents. But large means $1 million or more over a lifetime, meaning most Minnesotans won't be affected by it. Those who are affected will find themselves charged for giving relatives such gifts as lake homes, boats and family businesses. The tax was part of the omnibus tax bill the Legislature approved this year.

I have contended for quite some time that the left’s love of black people ends when that black person does not walk in lockstep with the Democrat line. If they DARE to be a conservative, then not only are they fair game, but they are then open to ridicule, condemnation, and attack from the left. These attacks will just roll off their tongue with such ease that it is disturbing. In the case of MN State Rep. Ryan Winkler, a Democrat, the racist attack rolled from his fingers to the internet via his computer......

The tobacco levy isn't the only tax going up July 1. This year, the Minnesota Legislature extended the sales taxes to a number of new services. Consumers will start paying the state's 6.875 percent sales tax on the digital music, movies, books, e-greeting cards and video and computer games that they download from the Internet or receive by email. They also will pay sales taxes on some -- but not all -- Internet purchases. The new law requires online retailers that have a physical presence or affiliates in Minnesota to start collecting state sales taxes, eliminating their advantage over Minnesota's...

MCGREGOR, Minn. (KMSP) - A woman was attacked by a 190 lb. black bear in northern Minnesota on Monday night after her dog chased after its yearling cubs. According to the Minnesota DNR, the 72-year-old McGregor, Minn., woman was bitten and clawed, but sustained non-life-threatening injuries. HOW IT HAPPENED The incident began when the woman let her golden retriever outside after checking to make sure the bears, which had been seen on the property for several days, weren't around. After letting the dog out, three young bears unexpectedly ran out from under the deck and the dog to chase dafter...

A group of gun owners have set their sights on a series of Twin Cities neighborhood family events for their own gun-toting get-togethers, beginning this weekend. The gun owners “meet-up” events, in which the promoters suggest guns be carried openly and not just concealed, came as a surprise to some city officials and organizers of the Open Streets neighborhood gatherings. “I’m shocked and saddened,” said Nancy Homans, policy director for St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman. “It seems like guns isn’t the right kind of activity for this event. We’re not even allowing alcohol. … I’m not sure there’s much of...

Minnesota author Vince Flynn has died after a long battle with prostate cancer. WCCO-TV has learned that Flynn died Wednesday morning at United Hospital in St. Paul. Flynn has authored 15 novels centered around the character of Mitch Rapp, an undercover CIA agent. The majority of those novels have made it to the New York Times bestseller list.

More Minnesota public employees are staying on the job longer -- a result of the struggling economy and a change in the rules for public workers who have long enjoyed incentives to leave the workforce in their late 50s. Last year, about 60 percent of new retirees from Minnesota's public workforce -- not including public safety workers -- waited until they were 62 or older to retire. Just seven years ago, that figure was 40 percent, according to data from Minnesota's three statewide public pension plans. This trend is expected to accelerate sharply. Within the next decade, there won't be...

Sen Al Franken (D-MN) was using such a circuitous "serpentine" walking pattern in an effort to avoid TRN's Jason Mattera's tough question that he inadvertently body checked one of his own staffers in the process. The absurd weaving to avoid the tough inquiry even brought the senator to laughter at one point as the beleaguered staffer tried to run interference for Franken by claiming that he doesn't talk to national press.

A tax bill that would raise revenue $2.1 billion by boosting taxes on high-wage earners, smokers and corporations is headed for debate by the Senate. The bill, which also helps support a development plan pushed by the Mayo Clinic in Rochester officials say could bring thousands of jobs to Minnesota, is expected to be on the agenda once state Senators return to chambers at 11 a.m. The bill passed the state House by a 69-65 vote early Monday morning, May 20. It is one of the last major tax and spending bills the Legislature is taking up as it finalizes...

entire Wabasha bridge this morning downtown St.Paul(both sides) Wonder hoe much the public works spent putting all these nice, new rainbow flags up? might explain your property tax rates, St.Paulites...

Play is serious business for Tom Evers, as serious as a million dollars. His idea to make play more meaningful is one of 30 semifinalists in the St. Paul Forever Challenge contest to use $1 million to make St. Paul a better city. "We teach how to lead games and diffuse conflict," said Evers, who hopes to enhance play for children and adults. On Thursday, May 9, the St. Paul Foundation announced the semifinalists. The foundation's idea competition has been operating for years, but interest exploded when the prize was jacked up to $1 million this year. More than 900...

After three hours of noticeably civil debate and personal, sometimes emotional speeches, the Minnesota House passed a bill Thursday, May 9, that would make it legal for same-sex couples to marry. The bill is scheduled for a vote Monday in the Senate, where leaders have said they have the votes to approve it. Gov. Mark Dayton has said he will sign it. If approved, the law would make Minnesota the 12th state in the nation to allow gay and lesbian couples to marry. It would take effect Aug. 1. The House vote was 75-59. All but two of the 73...

Minnesota might be poised to become the 12th state in the nation to legalize gay marriage, as House leaders prepare for a floor vote Thursday, May 9. House Speaker Paul Thissen, DFL-Minneapolis, said he believes the 73-member DFL majority has the 68 votes needed to pass the bill allowing same-sex couples to wed, even without a single Republican vote. As of late Tuesday, no GOP House members have said publicly they would vote "yes." Meanwhile, Senate Democratic leaders say they also have the votes to pass a same-sex marriage bill, and DFL Gov. Mark Dayton says he'll sign it.

A woman and her 25-year-old daughter were assaulted by a group of teens in a St. Paul gas station parking lot Tuesday, May 7, police said. A male dragged the 45-year-old woman across the lot and a female punched her in the face, said Sgt. Paul Paulos, police spokesman. Paramedics checked out the woman and her daughter at the scene, and they were not taken to the hospital, he said. The mother had scrapes on her elbows and knees, consistent with being dragged, and the daughter had a bruise on her head from being punched, Paulos said. Police were called...

Historian John Diers, author of the new book "St. Paul Union Depot," will be among the train enthusiasts who will welcome visitors to the Union Depot on Saturday, May 11. The newly refurbished Lowertown depot, which is expected to provide Amtrak passenger service by the end of the year, is celebrating Amtrak's "National Train Day" with free family activities from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Diers, who will deliver a presentation, will have copies of his book for sale. The Radio Disney road crew, a vintage bluegrass railroad band led by Cannonball Paul, storeowner Choo Choo Bob and the St....

A recent uptick in health care costs could start ballooning some insurance premiums for Minnesota workers this summer. Medica, one of the state's three largest health insurers, is seeking an average rate increase of 13 percent for about 5,000 people covered through their small-business employers when they renew policies in July. If approved by state regulators, the proposed increase could affect future premiums for an additional 65,000 people in small-business accounts with the Minnetonka-based health insurer. Medica covers about one-fourth of the state's "small group" market -- meaning small businesses with 50 or fewer employees -- and the actual premium...

EAU CLAIRE, Wis.—Things only got better for the western Wisconsin teen with Down syndrome who escorted Miss Minnesota USA to his junior prom. Besides his dream date with Danielle Hooper Saturday, Menomonie High School junior Charlie Gainey was elected prom king. Charlie's date with Hooper was arranged by a mutual friend who has a child that swims with Charlie on a Special Olympics team. Charlie wore his grandfather's tuxedo for big event...

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — House Speaker Paul Thissen decided Wednesday that the Minnesota House won’t vote on any gun control bills this year, a major priority for many Democrats coming into the legislative session but one that got stymied by divisions in the party over access to guns.

Two years ago, I was one of two legislative Republicans to stand up and speak out against the marriage amendment, which sought to constitutionally define marriage as between one man and one woman. My reasoning was simple: I do not believe government should dictate with whom an adult should live and love, nor is it government's duty to define what marriage means to an individual. Gay rights supporters lauded my stand. They blasted the Legislature -- rightfully so -- for wasting time on an issue that ordered government to define and accept a religious activity. Now with the "freedom to...

A parent at St. Paul's Nova Classical Academy alleges the charter school violated his sixth-grade daughter's right to free speech when administrators prohibited her from passing out anti-abortion fliers. The parent, Nicholas Zinos of St. Paul, has sued the school in federal court on behalf of the girl. Nova policy requires administrator approval before students hand out or post materials at school, the lawsuit states. In a letter to Zinos, the school's top administrator said the school has come to limit political, religious and controversial speech to its high school students in response to parental concerns. The lawsuit alleges the...

Metro Transit officials confirm there is a major investigation underway at its light rail Hiawatha maintenance shop. 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS has learned the investigation started in December and is still in progress. Metro Transit says it does involve staff at the maintenance facility, but would not specify which employees were under investigation. Sources tell 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS it does involve managers as well as hourly employees. Those same sources say part of the allegations that lead to the investigation include the exchange of pills and firearms for coveted overtime shifts at the maintenance facility.

A group of congressional Republican lawmakers say the way President Barack Obama's labor secretary nominee handled three housing discrimination lawsuits against the city of St. Paul should be enough to block his confirmation. The central case, Magner v. Gallagher, involved St. Paul landlords who claimed that the city overreached with its strict housing inspections, which had the serious consequence of reducing the amount of affordable housing available to racial minorities. St. Paul officials, congressional Democrats and the Justice Department are dismissing the GOP's latest claims as politics as usual, but a 63-page report issued Sunday is certain to amplify discussions...

Gander Mountain will open a "Firearms Super Center" in Rogers later this month, the first time it has rolled out the concept in Minnesota, the company said Friday, April 5. The St. Paul-based outdoor goods chain already has 11 Gander Mountain locations across the state -- all of which sell guns -- but its store in the western Twin Cities suburb will have strictly a firearms emphasis. The company boasts it is "the nation's leading firearms retailer." The 30,000-square-foot Rogers location -- formerly a Best Buy -- will have its official grand opening in May.

Assistant Attorney General Thomas E. Perez's nomination by President Obama as labor secretary has been met with criticism from Republicans and widespread concern among current and former Justice Department attorneys who question whether the Civil Rights Division chief is qualified for the post. "People should be raising serious questions about this nomination," said Hans von Spakovsky, a veteran Justice Department lawyer who formerly served as counsel to the division. "This is a man who misled both Congress and the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. "He was the focus last week of the most devastating indictment of a federal government agency...

A bill to provide $7 million in annual state aid to a pension fund for teachers in the St. Paul School District will move to the full Legislature. Lawmakers on the Legislative Commission for Pensions and Retirement voted 10 to 4 to advance the bill Tuesday, April 2. Along with the aid, the bill also includes increased contributions and cost-saving measures in an effort to close the retirement fund's $16.7 million annual gap between what it needs and what it brings in. The commission also approved a similar measure that includes $6 million in annual state aid for the Duluth...

Health care spending in Minnesota is on the rise again. Per-person spending by the state's nonprofit health insurance companies on medical care during 2012 rose 5.1 percent from the previous year, according data released Monday, April 1, by the Minnesota Council of Health Plans. That was a significant jump compared with the rate of medical cost inflation during 2010 and 2011, according to the St. Paul-based trade group. In 2011, for example, the annual increase in per-person spending was 0.4 percent -- likely because some patients delayed elective procedures during the slow economic recovery, experts say.

A final audit of Minnesota's Medicaid program does not paint a very pretty picture, for taxpayers. The audit, conducted by Segal Company, shows the government overpaid the four insurance companies that run the state's Medicaid program by $207 million. Auditors called the overpayments "concerning." And, the auditors also said it "seems unreasonable that no one called into question the pattern" of overpayments between 2003 and 2011.

<p>Lawmakers are considering extending Minnesota's resident tuition rates for public colleges to illegal immigrants.</p> <p>Sen. Sandy Pappas, a St. Paul Democrat, is leading the push to make college cheaper for illegal immigrants on the condition that they graduate from high school and apply to legalize their immigration status as soon as possible.</p>

To four Red Wing High School students, a recent trip to Washington, D.C., was more than a chance to see the White House and the Lincoln Memorial. For them, the trip was personal. “We went to advocate for a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants and to talk to representatives from the House of Representatives and Senate,” student Oscar Machado said. Machado, along with classmates Oscar Hernandez, William Ortiz and Deisy Miranda Rivera, visited the Capitol March 4 through March 8 to attend the 2013 National Latino Advocacy Days. The event was put on the National Council of La Raza...

Tonight in St. Paul, the Senate Judiciary Committee will hear two bills: one would strip away your Constitutional rights, and the other would lock up criminals who misuse guns. The hearing starts at 6 p.m. in Room 15 of the State Capitol (on the first floor, below the rotunda). Seating is very limited;arrive early or expect to watch the hearing from an overflow room. Please wear a maroon shirt or a GOCRA t-shirt if you have one! Minnesota House The good: Rep. Hilstrom (DFL) has introduced a rights-respecting bill*, HF 1325, that focuses on keeping guns away from criminals and...

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Community and religious leaders from north Minneapolis spoke out Tuesday against a proposed gun bill at the Capitol. They say DFL Rep. Debra Hilstrom's bill would hurt communities of color by creating mandatory minimum sentences for gun possession by those who shouldn't have them. Leroy Duncan, with the anti-violence group Protect Minnesota, said instead of making more people criminals Minnesota should close the loophole on background checks. "This bill mistakenly misplaces the issue of gun violence on our communities, while failing to even attempt ... to create safer communities in our state," Duncan said.

ST.PAUL, MN, March 11, 2013 (LifeSiteNews) – Homosexual activists in Minnesota are pushing for a broad “Safe and Supportive Schools Act” that would outlaw speech that could interfere with a student's ability "to participate in a safe and supportive learning environment." The bill is being promoted as the strongest "anti-bullying" law in the nation, but critics say it could have a chilling effect on free speech, especially in religious schools that teach Christian beliefs on sexuality. “We agree … that school bullying is a serious issue that needs to be ameliorated,” said Pete Noll, education director of the Minnesota Catholic...

Today, DFL Representative Debra Hilstrom and a bipartisan coalition of legislators and sheriffs introduced a new bill which will address the very real issue of keeping guns out of the hands of criminals and the dangerously mentally ill, without infringing on the rights of law abiding Minnesota gun owners. Republican Rep. Tony Cornish, the House's leader on gun rights, joined Hilstrom at the press conference to speak in favor of the bill. Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek, Carver County Sheriff Jim Olson, View the press conference on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHeazofiWQ8 The bill's co-authors comprise more than half of the representatives, both...

Democrats in the state House of Representatives pushed forward a key provision of the federal health care overhaul by voting Monday, March 4, to create a health insurance exchange for Minnesota. The federal law, which was passed in 2010, calls for the creation of state-level health exchanges where individuals and small businesses can purchase coverage beginning in October. The marketplaces are meant to make it easier for consumers to comparison shop for health insurance. Federal subsidies will be available for many shopping on the exchange, and should thereby fulfill the federal law's goal of increasing the share of Americans with...

He was speaking of bringing the same legal opportunities to same-sex couples as married couples when state Sen. Scott Dibble, DFL-Minneapolis, said the following the other day: "What if we were to put love at the center of everything that we debate and discuss at the state Legislature? The power of that idea is profound. This is a day to be very, very proud to be a Minnesotan. Because Minnesotans have rallied around this unifying, this clarifying discussion about the power of love in our lives." Dibble's sentiment is not only agreeable, but challenging. Just what is it that most...

In a turnabout, Minnesota gun-rights advocates are lining up modest revisions to the state's gun laws as a way to fend off more serious restrictions and give lawmakers the chance to make some progress on a politically charged issue. Expected to be introduced next week, the bill would be an alternative to a House Democrat's gun-control package that party leaders concede probably lacks the votes to pass. That reflects the dynamic at the Capitol, where gun measures divide legislators more along geographic lines than party lines -- many rural DFLers won't support taking a harder line. National Rifle Association lobbyist...

Editor's note: Reacting to a proposed tax affecting Minnesota "snowbirds," U.S. Rep. Trey Radel, a Fort Myers, Fla., Republican, sent this letter to Gov. Mark Dayton. It was published recently in the Naples Daily News.Dear Gov. Mark Dayton, I'm writing today to thank you. As a Floridian, I am overjoyed to hear about your plan to raise taxes on Minnesotans, most especially the so-called "snowbirds." Your proposal gives us a chance to shine here in the Sunshine State. We love to share southwest Florida with snowbirds from all over the country. We are proud to host or be home to...

Bans on assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazines are virtually off the table in the gun control debate at the Minnesota Legislature. Rep. Michael Paymar, DFL-St. Paul, on Thursday, Feb. 28, unveiled his gun-violence prevention bill, calling for expanded background checks for buyers, tougher penalties for those who sell to disqualified people and better prosecution of gun crimes. Earlier this month, Paymar, chairman of the Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee, presided over three days of hearings on nearly a dozen bills proposing changes to Minnesota gun laws. Paymar, whose hearings drew hundreds of spectators to the Capitol, said he wanted...

MN Legislative Update on Obamacare Exchange & privacy-gutting bills Please begin now contacting your legislators about the Obamacare Exchange bills which are likely to be voted on March 4 in the House and March 7 in the Senate. They want the final bill to Gov. Dayton on March 22.

One boy, accused of cutting a fellow student with an X-Acto knife, faces a felony assault charge. Another was charged with assault after kicking a schoolmate in the groin. Both incidents took place at St. Paul's Ramsey Junior High this school year. In both cases, parents alerted police. The school did not. Educators have long grappled with the messy task of deciding when student misbehavior calls for school discipline -- or for police action. In recent years, districts in Minnesota and beyond have retooled their approach. Schools have become increasingly loath to refer students to the juvenile justice system, which...

Democrats in Minnesota are pushing a gun confiscation proposal that looks eerily similar to one recently proposed by Democrats in Missouri, Jim Hoft reported at the Gateway Pundit on Thursday. The measure uses language that is almost identical to the Missouri proposal, including a requirement that law-abiding gun owners relinquish their so-called "assault" weapons before Sept.1, 2013. According to the bill, anyone who, on February 1, 2013, legally owns or is in possession of an assault weapon has until September 1, 2013, to do any of the following without being subject to prosecution under Minnesota Statutes, section 624.7133: 1. remove...

Walking down the middle of the street near his parents' home in Oakdale, a man randomly fired a handgun at passing motorists -- killing a 9-year-old boy and injuring the boy's mother and another woman, police and witnesses said. A 34-year-old man, arrested without incident, shot at least four cars in a residential area shortly after 6 p.m. Monday, Feb. 11. The man has not been identified by police. In a Tuesday morning release, Oakdale authorities said there was, "no active threat to public safety at this time." One woman, who was taking groceries home from a nearby Rainbow Foods,...