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City of Minneapolis approves another $1M in worker’s comp for police officers

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City of Minneapolis approves another $1M in worker’s comp for police officers


A Minneapolis City Council committee has approved another million-plus dollars in workers’ compensation for former Minneapolis Police Officers claiming post-traumatic stress and other injuries as they leave the force. The decision comes as city leaders are calling on the community to help change the department for the better.

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The Policy and Government Oversight Committee welcomed a panel of activists, watchdogs, and concerned citizens to offer recommendations on officer union negotiations. The objective is twofold: to improve public safety and to reform the Minneapolis Police Department in the wake of George Floyd’s murder.

“We are not anti-union. We are not against the police federation. We’re not against police officers,” said Stacey Gurian-Sherman of Minneapolis for a Better Police Contract. The group has spent years studying the issue and has formulated nearly two dozen suggestions for ongoing labor talks, ranging from hiring practices and disciplinary actions to mental health and wellness measures for officers.

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“The fatigue cycle… if an officer is working too many hours, then he’s not getting enough sleep. If he’s not getting enough sleep, he’s not going to be able to cope with the stressors of the job in a healthy way,” argued Kim Milliard with Minneapolis for a Better Police Contract.

Meanwhile, the workers’ compensation payouts to frontline employees exiting the MPD remains a divisive subject at City Hall.

“These settlements have also been a massive financial burden on taxpayers,” said Council Member Robin Wonsley.

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With another batch of approvals on Monday, the total workers’ comp payouts have reached $28 million since George Floyd’s murder and the unrest that followed, according to numbers reported during Monday’s meeting.

Wonsley says she’s particularly concerned with settlement money for departing officers with questionable track records. “These payouts are going to officers that have done egregious acts of misconduct towards residents and also have not been held accountable,” she stated. Wonsley pledged to collaborate with her colleagues to “rein in the blank check that keeps being signed to MPD repeatedly over and over.”

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As for the union negotiations that are ongoing, there is a unique situation this year: The negotiations are open to the public. The two sides will come back to the table in about ten days.



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Minneapolis, MN

Four local gymnasts headed to Olympic Trials in Minneapolis

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Four local gymnasts headed to Olympic Trials in Minneapolis


HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — What is the threshold for success for an athlete?

Well, everyone is different.

For some, it’s making the starting lineup on varsity.

For others, it’s securing that college athletic scholarship and playing at the next level, and maybe even getting to the pros.

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But for four local trampoline gymnasts, they’re eyeing something bigger….the Olympics.

Paul Bretscher, Cody Gesuelli, Maia Amano, and Trinity Van Natta, all returned from Lima, Peru, after competing at the Pan American Championships for Team USA in Trampoline Gymnastics.

All are returning with a gold medal in hand.

“I actually just came off of a knee injury, so I tore several ligaments in my knee back in April of last year and I had surgery for that. And so this was my first international competition since that injury. So for me, it was all about like, you know, proving to myself that I can still compete on an international stage and um, I think I was able to do that because I ended up getting a personal best score,” said Maia Amano.

These four are members of the USA Gymnastics Senior National Team, so winning gold silver or bronze is nothing new to them.

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Right now, they’re already eyeing the next competition, the Olympic Trials in Minneapolis starting on June 27.

“Normally on the equipment, we do 17 and a half hours,” said Paul Bretscher, “We normally go and work workout, doing weightlifting and strength and conditioning, probably 2 to 3 more times in the week.”

“A lot of my training and preparation since Peru going into nationals has been sort of focused on that mental block. I do three days a week in the morning and then every day, Monday through Friday in the evening. So in the mornings, I focus on just working my skills individually,” said Trinity Van Natta.

“I’m trying to get into a better mindset. I think the last Olympic trial, I kind of put too much pressure on myself and I was expecting a greater result. When that didn’t happen, you know, that hurt my feelings quite a bit. But, you know, luckily we had Peru the week after the last Olympic trials, and so it was a good rebound for me,” said Cody Geuselli.

For these athletes, qualifying for the 2024 Olympics is the mountaintop.

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“That’s been my goal since I was probably 12 years old,” said Amano.

“I’ve been competing with the goal of going to the Olympics for probably my whole trampoline career,” said Bretscher.

“It’d be a culmination of all the sacrifices that I made for this sport. You know, I’ve moved twice already around the country for it to just, you know, train and try to compete at my best. So it would just be the icing on the cake,” added Gesuelli.



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Woman gravely injured in shooting near Minneapolis homeless encampment

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Woman gravely injured in shooting near Minneapolis homeless encampment


Woman gravely injured in shooting near Minneapolis homeless encampment – CBS Minnesota

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Minneapolis Police say a woman was seriously injured after being shot near a homeless encampment at 28th and Columbus.

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Woman found seriously wounded after being shot in south Minneapolis

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Woman found seriously wounded after being shot in south Minneapolis


A woman was shot Saturday evening in south Minneapolis and found seriously wounded in a nearby homeless encampment. Minneapolis police responded at 6:07 p.m. to a shooting report on the 2800 block of Park Avenue South. Police said they found evidence of shooting and then found a woman in her 20s with a “life-threatening” gunshot wound at an encampment at East 28th Street and Columbus Avenue. …



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