THE MINNESOTA DNR DECLARED UPPER AND LOWER RED LAKES ICE FREE YESTERDAY, AND SATELITE IMAGERY SHOWS ICE IS DISAPPEARING RAPIDLY FROM LAKE OF THE WOODS AND ACTUALLY HAS A CHANCE OF BEING ICE FREE BY SATURDAY’S FISHING OPENER. THAT’S A DRASTIC CHANGE FROM JUST BACK ON MAY 7TH, WHEN IMAGERY SHOWED LARGE AMOUNTS OF ICE REMAINING.
HIGH WATER LEVELS ON THE LAKE HOWEVER ARE STARTING TO CAUSE SOME CONCERNS. ACCORDING TO THE LAKE OF THE WOODS CONTROL BOARD, WATER LEVELS HAVE RISEN MORE THAN 25 INCHES SINCE EARLY APRIL. IN RESPONSE, THE BOARD HAS OPENED THE NORMAN DAM AT KENORA, BUT WATER IS STILL FLOWING INTO THE LAKE AT MORE THAN TWICE THE RATE THAT IS FLOWING OUT.
PHOUTHASSA PRATHANE OF WARROAD HAS ADMITTED TO BREAKING INTO A HOME, SHOOTING AND TRYING TO KILL THE MOTHER OF HIS CHILDREN IN A PELICAN RAPIDS SHOOTING LAST MONTH. THE CHARGES WERE FELONY COUNTS OF ATTEMPTED MURDER AND BURGLARY. THE PLEA AGREEMENT, IF APPROVED BY A JUDGE, WOULD GIVE HIM A SENTENCE OF 183 MONTHS IN PRISON.
THE LATEST ON THE AVIAN FLU IN MINNESOTA SHOWS A TOTAL OF 70 SITES AFFECTED AS OF YESTERDAY AND AN ESTIMATED 2.9 MILLION BIRD AFFECTED. THE LATEST SITES WERE MOSTLY IN SMALLER “BACKYARD PRODUCERS”.
WITH THE WET SPRING AND FLOOD CONDITIONS, WILDFIRES MAY SEEM LIKE A DISTANT THOUGHT, BUT SPRING BURNING RESTRICTIONS ARE NOW IN AFFECT FOR MANY NORTHWESTERN MINNESOTA COUNTIES INCLUIDNG ROSEAU, KITTSON, LAKE OF THE WOODS, MARHSALL, PENNINGTON, AND POLK. THE DNR WILL NOT ISSUE PERMITS FOR OPEN BURSH BURNING OR YARD WASTE UNTIL RESTRICTIONS ARE LIFTED.
DR. SCOTT JENSEN CONTINUES TO EMERGE AS THE POSSIBLE FRONT RUNNER FOR THE REPUBLICAN PARTY PICK TO RUN FOR GOVERNOR. HE PICKED UP A MAJOR ENDORSEMENT FROM WISCONSIN SENATOR RON JOHNSON, WHO HAS CALLED JENSEN A “HEALTH FREEDOM HERO”. JENSEN HAS SELECTED MATT BIRK AS HIS RUNNING MATE AS LT. GOVERNOR.
GOVERNOR TIM WALZ YESTERDAY COMMENTED ON MINNESOTA’S ECONOMY, WHICH REMAINS STRONG. THIS COMES AFTER NEWS THAT IN APRIL, STATE REVENUES EXCEEDED THE FORECAST BY $1.1 BILLION. HE SPOKE ABOUT THE NEED TO LOWER COSTS AND IMPROVE THE LIVES OF MINNESOTANS.
GOVERNOR WALZ ALSO SIGNED INTO LAW A BILL ADDRESSING MANY ISSUES AFFECTING VETERANS. THE LAW TARGERS HOMELESSNESS, PROVIDES SERVICE BONUSES TO VETERANS AND GOLD STAR FAMILIES, AND HELPS TO FUND VETERANS HOMES AND VETERANS CEMETERIES.
Last modified: 05/11/2022
