TRUMP RALLY-WEAPONS

Man pleads guilty after bragging about plans to kill officer

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A southern Minnesota man has pleaded guilty to illegally possessing a firearm after he bragged about his illegal shotgun and plans to kill a police officer at a Donald Trump rally at the state Capitol. The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports the 22-year-old Dayton Sauke of Owatonna entered his plea in federal court in Minneapolis on Wednesday. According to court records, the man posted antigovernment sentiments and photos of him holding guns on social media before the January rally. He also expressed a desire to kill a police officer at the rally, made numerous posts about building and selling guns without a license and posted photos of a sawed-off shotgun.

AP-US-MINNESOTA-WILDFIRES

'Tinderbox conditions' fuel fire in Superior National Forest

ISABELLA, Minn. (AP) — A Superior National Forest official says the ongoing drought has created “tinderbox conditions” as firefighters continue to battle wildfires in the area. The fires have already burned more than 25,000 acres and 12 seasonal homes or cabins have been lost. Superior National Forest Supervisor Connie Cummins said firefighters have been dealing with wildfires since the spring and are getting tired. The fires forced the closure of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness until at least Sept. 3. Cummins said she's evaluating the situation daily and the BWCA will be reopened once it's safe.

DANCING WITH THE STARS

JoJo Siwa to join same-sex couple on 'Dancing With Stars'

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Pop star JoJo Siwa will compete as part of the first same-sex pairing on “Dancing With the Stars” for the show’s upcoming 30th season. Olympic gymnastics champion Suni Lee also is joining the cast, the rest of which will be announced on Sept. 8. ABC says the celebrities will find out which pro dancer they’ll partner with on the season premiere Sept. 20. Siwa is an 18-year-old who has said she identifies as gay and queer. She says the same-sex pairing signals to viewers that it’s OK to be your true self. Host Tyra Banks says the pairing will save lives and change lives.

DUCK STAMP-HUNTING RULE

Hunting theme no longer mandatory in US duck stamp contest

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Artists will no longer have to incorporate hunting imagery to win a spot for their work on the federal duck stamp, reversing a Trump-era requirement. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says eliminating the requirement from its annual Federal Duck Stamp contest will give artists more flexibility. Stamp sales help fund conservation efforts, and the Trump administration said requiring hunting imagery acknowledged the role of hunters in those efforts. But the National Audubon Society and others said the move unnecessarily stirred up political controversy. Waterfowl hunters have to buy the $25 stamps to hunt. Others including collectors also buy them.

TRAIN CRASH

NTSB investigating Minn. freight train collision; none hurt

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Federal authorities are investigating how three freight trains collided in St. Paul. Canadian Pacific spokesman Andy Cummings says the collision occurred around 5 p.m. Wednesday near a rail yard on the city’s southeast side. He says a Canadian Pacific freight train, a BNSF train and a Union Pacific freight train were involved in the crash. He says two Canadian Pacific locomotives, a Union Pacific locomotive and a BNSF lumber car all derailed. He says no one was hurt and no hazardous materials were involved. National Transportation Safety Board spokesman Eric Weiss says the agency has dispatched a team of investigators to the scene.

MINNEAPOLIS SHOOTOUT-7 HURT

7 hurt after 2 people exchange gunfire in Minneapolis

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Police say seven people were injured after two people began shooting at each other on a busy street in Minneapolis' Uptown neighborhood. Police say the shootout happened at about 12:30 a.m. Thursday on the 3000 block of Lyndale Avenue South. Police arrived to find “a very chaotic scene.” Police said they found three people with gunshot wounds and were told that four others had gone to area hospitals. One of the injured is in critical condition. All seven are expected to survive. Investigators are working to determine if the injured were suspects, intended targets or innocent bystanders.

PLANT CLOSING

Little Falls printing plant to close, idling 330 workers

LITTLE FALLS, Minn. (AP) — A printing and direct mail company will permanently close its plant in Morrison County, idling 330 employees. Chanhassen-based IWCO Direct notified state labor officials this week that the Little Falls plant will close on or around Jan. 1, 2022. According to the notice filed with the Department of Employment and Economic Development, half of the employees will be terminated by Nov. 1 and the remaining workforce will operate the plant until January. The layoffs come at a time when the company is investing more in its digital products and services.

BEAN FIELD COLLAPSE

Bean field collapses in northwestern Minnesota

CLIMAX, Minn. (AP) — Some consider it a geological wonder. A crack in the soil of a bean field in northwestern Minnesota has caused the ground to collapse 25 feet, creating a quarter-mile long ravine. Wayne and Erllene Erickson are the fourth generation on the family farm near Climax in Polk County, and say they’ve never seen anything like this. Erllene describes it as kind of scary and sad. Geologists with the University of North Dakota say the dry weather, a drop in water levels on the Red River and recent rains can form a perfect storm for something like this to occur. Crevasses are still forming as the land continues shifting.

News from © The Associated Press, 2021