DAUNTE WRIGHT-OFFICER TRIAL

For cop who shot Daunte Wright, will 'wrong gun' plea work?

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Jury selection begins Tuesday for a white former suburban Minneapolis police officer, Kim Potter, who says she meant to grab her Taser instead of her handgun when she shot and killed motorist Daunte Wright, who was Black. The Brooklyn Center officer's reaction on body-camera video seemed to instantly establish the key facts of the case, as she said she grabbed the wrong gun and would be going to prison. But legal experts say a conviction isn’t as certain as it might seem — at least on the most serious charge she faces, manslaughter. Her defense attorney says she made an innocent mistake. Potter resigned two days after the shooting.

AP-US-COMMUNITY-SOLAR

Community systems offer alternative paths for solar growth

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — As demand for renewable energy surges, “community solar” installations are popping up around the U.S. They're larger than home rooftop systems but smaller than utility-scale complexes. Community solar gardens are located atop buildings, or on abandoned factory grounds and farms. Customers subscribe to portions of energy sent to the grid and get credits that reduce their electricity bills. The model attracts people who can’t afford rooftop solar or live where it's not accessible, such as renters. More than 40 states have at least one community solar operation. But in some places, growth is hampered by debates over who should be allowed to enter the market.

DAUNTE WRIGHT-OFFICER TRIAL-CHARGES-EXPLAINER

EXPLAINER: Was officer's fatal Taser mix-up manslaughter?

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Prosecutors will try to prove that a white suburban Minneapolis police officer, Kim Potter, committed manslaughter when she fatally shot Daunte Wright, a Black man, during an attempted arrest in April. Potter, who resigned two days after the shooting, says she meant to use her Taser but accidentally grabbed her gun instead when she killed the 20-year-old Black man in the Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Center. Potter is charged with first- and second-degree manslaughter. The more serious charge requires prosecutors to prove that she acted recklessly, while the lesser charge requires them to establish that she acted with culpable negligence. Jury selection begins Tuesday.

DAUNTE WRIGHT-OFFICER-TRIAL-CURFEW

Brooklyn Center officials ponder curfew with Potter verdict

BROOKLYN CENTER, Minn. (AP) — City officials in Brooklyn Center are debating whether a curfew is needed when a verdict is reached in the trial of Kimberly Potter, the police officer charged with manslaughter in the death last spring of Daunte Wright. Council members last week postponed to Monday a decision on a proposed emergency ordinance that would allow the city manager to establish a curfew. To grant that authority, the council vote must be unanimous. Some members expressed uncertainty about how to balance the exercise of free speech by possible protesters with public safety and the protection of businesses against vandalism. Others worry that preparing for a possible curfew suggest that city officials expect civil unrest in the wake of the Potter verdict.

NATIONAL FOREST-TRIBAL LIAISON

Tribal liaison dives into Minnesota ski area expansion talks

DULUTH, Minn. (AP) — The Superior National Forest’s first full-time tribal liaison says he wants to work with the federal government on proposed expansion of the Lutsen Mountains Ski Area. Juan Martinez started his new role in January, but he didn’t move to Minnesota until July. He coordinates communication between the national forest and the three Ojibwe bands in northeastern Minnesota. Lutsen officials want to expand onto 494 acres of adjacent Forest Service land to build new ski runs, chairlifts and other amenities they say are needed to compete against big ski resorts. The Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa has argued the project compromises its treaty rights. Both Martinez and Forest Service officials say all sides should be involved in the discussion.

MASS ROBBERY

Up to 30 people conduct robbery at Best Buy in Burnsville

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Police say a group of 20 to 30 people grabbed numerous electronic items at a Best Buy store in Burnsville and quickly fled before police could arrive. Police say no weapons were seen in the caper Friday night and no one was reported injured,. No one had been arrested as of Saturday morning The robbery occurred shortly after 8 p.m. on Black Friday, one of the busiest shopping days of the year following the Thanksgiving holiday. The incidents resemble a number of mass robberies recently reported across the United States.

OJIBWE-ANIMAL WELFARE

Reviving Ojibwe spiritual traditions, one pet at a time

CASS LAKE, Minnesota (AP) — Several members of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe in northern Minnesota are working to address animal neglect on their tribal lands — and in doing so bringing their community closer to its spiritual roots. Kids are helping their elders in animal rescues, pet food and supplies are routinely distributed in the community and the first permanent veterinary clinic is one final permit away from breaking ground. Animals are central to Ojibwe beliefs and sacred origin stories. So promoting pet care reinforces the Creator’s intentions for harmony between humans and animals — a value that some say faded over the years.

GREAT LAKES-WARMER WATER

Great Lakes' warming has wintertime domino effect

CHICAGO (AP) — Winter is just around the corner, but experts say the Great Lakes haven’t gotten the message. The Chicago Tribune reports that summer and fall evenings failed to cool down sufficiently. So Great Lakes surface temperatures are trending above average. It’s an example of climate change. Record- or near-record warm spells in Minnesota, Wisconsin, New York and Illinois set up a domino effect. Warmer lake temperatures can produce more lake effect snow. Snow diminishes with the onset of ice, which itself is delayed. Ice helps deter shoreline erosion. And warmer water temperatures year-round can invite invasive species or harmful algae blooms, even in water as deep at the Great Lakes'.

News from © The Associated Press, 2021