Minnesota
FEMA approves federal disaster declaration for 22 Minnesota counties
Minnesota flooding update: Walz, FEMA speak [RAW]
Gov. Tim Walz and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provided an update on Minnesota’s flood outlook on Friday morning. Here’s the raw press conference from June 28, 2024.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) – The Minnesota governor’s office announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) approved a federal disaster declaration for 22 counties in Minnesota impacted by flooding.
The purpose of a federal disaster declaration is to provide resources to reimburse communities for debris removal, emergency protective measures as well as repair and replacement of damaged infrastructure, according to a government officials.
Gov. Tim Walz and FEMA officials gave an update on the state’s flood outlook Friday morning. That news conference can be seen above.
The approved counties include the following:
- Blue Earth
- Carver
- Cass
- Cook
- Cottonwood
- Faribault
- Fillmore
- Freeborn
- Goodhue
- Jackson
- Lake
- Le Sueur
- Murray
- Nobles
- Pipestone
- Rice
- Rock
- St. Louis
- Steele
- Wabasha
- Waseca
- Watonwan
Officials say damage assessments are ongoing and other counties along with other forms of assistance may be added following the assessments’ completion. There are currently 20 other counties under review for federal disaster declaration funds.
Gov. Walz released the following statement on FEMA’s approval:
“I’ve seen the damage across our state firsthand – it’s going to take a united effort at every level of government to quickly rebuild and recover. This assistance is going to make all the difference in that recovery. I’m grateful to our partners in the federal government for doing their part, just as Minnesotans have done theirs, filling tens of thousands of sandbags, checking in on their neighbors, and volunteering their time.”
Earlier this week, Gov. Walz sent a letter to President Joe Biden requesting a Presidential Disaster Declaration. A copy of that letter can be seen below:
A 29-year-old man drowned at a lake in northern Minnesota on Saturday, according to the sheriff’s office.
The Crow Wing County Sheriff’s Office said the man drowned at the swimming area at Little Emily Lake Park. The man was at the park with family and friends at the time.
First responders arrived at the scene to try and rescue him, but he was pronounced dead, according to the sheriff’s office.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the victim’s family and friends during this incredibly difficult time,” the sheriff’s office said.
Little Emily Lake is about 40 miles north of Brainerd.
Minnesota
If Nolan Teasley is the “primary football executive” in Minnesota, Seahawks will get compensatory picks
The hiring of Seahawks assistant G.M. Nolan Teasley as the Vikings’ new G.M. will carry a specific benefit for his former team.
Per the league, Teasley qualifies as a diverse candidate under the NFL provision that gives the former team of a newly-hired G.M. or head coach a pair of third-round compensatory draft picks.
The only question is whether Teasley will be Minnesota’s “primary football executive.” That requirement prevented the Bears from receiving the compensatory draft picks when assistant General Manager Ian Cunningham was hired to be the Falcons G.M. The league decided that president of football Matt Ryan is the “primary football executive” in Atlanta.
The Bears appealed the decision to the league, and Bears fans continue to be mystified by the outcome — especially since Ryan has made it clear that Cunningham is a General Manager “in every facet of the word.”
Minnesota has no similar position to Ryan’s job with the Falcons. The only alternative to Teasley would be coach Kevin O’Connell. But there has been no indication that, moving forward, O’Connell will emerge as the top football executive for the Vikings, with full control over the roster and the draft.
The NFL’s full collection of diversity of initiatives have recently come under attack by Florida’s attorney general. The Seahawks getting two extra third-round draft picks undoubtedly will spark a reaction from those who, in the current climate, attack efforts aimed at enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion.
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