>>MN 1st Lady Walz, Lawmakers, Advocates Rally for Gun Safety

(St. Paul, MN) — Minnesota First Lady Gwen Walz, lawmakers, gun violence survivors, and more are gathering at the State Capitol this morning (TUES, 9 a.m.) to advocate for gun safety. Led by Moms and Students Demand Action, the group will rally for current legislation being considered by Minnesota lawmakers, including bills requiring improved secure firearm storage, gun owners to report Lost and Stolen guns to law enforcement, and a reduction in gun trafficking. Other rally speakers include Senator Bonnie Westlin of Plymouth, St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter, and Red Lake School shooting survivor Fran Mendoza.

>>NWS Issues Red Flag Warning in Northeast MN for Extreme Fire Risk

(Undated) — The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a Red Flag Warning for several northeast Minnesota counties effective immediately through 9:00 p.m. due to extreme fire risk conditions. Affected counties include Cook, Itasca, Koochiching, Lake, and St. Louis. No burning is allowed when the warning is in effect, and residents should check any recent burning piles to ensure the fire is completely out.

>>U.S. Supreme Court won’t hear Mike Lindell’s Petition on Cell Phone Seizure

(Washington, DC) — The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear a petition from MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell that the FBI violated his constitutional rights when agents seized his cell phone at a fast food drive-thru in Mankato two years ago. The high court discussed the issue in late March and issued their decision Monday without comment. Lindell says the U.S. government has been “weaponized” against him, and he’ll return to court to try to get his cell phone back. Lindell is the subject of a federal investigation into a security breach in the 2020 election in Colorado.

>>Twin Cities Felons Pleads Guilty to Illegal Possession of a Firearm

(Minneapolis, MN) — A Twin Cities man has pleaded guilty to illegally possessing a firearm. Court documents say 45-year-old Salvador Pachecho was stopped by a Minnesota State Patrol trooper on October 7th, 2022, for multiple traffic violations. Troopers smelled marijuana in the car, and a drug-sniffing dog located additional drugs in Pachecho’s vehicle. A search of the car turned up a Kahr .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol inside a backpack. Pachecho is set to be sentenced at a later date.

>>Wadena Man Sentenced to Over 13 Years in Prison in Connection with Vehicular Homicide

(Stillwater, MN) — A Wadena man has been sentenced to over 13 years in prison for his role in killing 80-year-old Shirley Bilden of Maplewood in 2021. 36-year-old Scott Hardy pleaded guilty in February to a plea deal convicting him of the charge of fleeing a peace officer in a motor vehicle, resulting in death. Court documents say police responded to a call that a Chevrolet Tahoe parked outside a Cub Food in Oakdale was stolen around 4 p.m. July 10th, 2021. When officers arrived and asked Hardy to leave the car, he fled quickly. Police eventually found Hardy had run a red light, which caused a crash between two other vehicles. Three people were injured in the crash, including Bilden, who died from her injuries four days later at the hospital. Hardy was arrested shortly after fleeing the collision, attempting to steal another car at a nearby cemetery.

>>Nearly 100 MN Farms Recognized As Century Farms

(Minneapolis, MN) — Almost 100 farms in Minnesota are receiving recognition for being family-owned and operated for over a century. The Minnesota State Fair and Minnesota Farm Bureau have announced this year’s Century Farms list. One family has continuously owned each of the 97 farms on the list for at least 100 years, is still being used for farming, and covers a minimum of 50 acres. This year’s list includes several farms that date back to the 1800s, the oldest being the Berquam-Krogstad Family Farm in Houston County, originally purchased in 1855.

>>Minnesota Lotto Winner

(Roseville, MN) — Someone playing the lottery in southwestern Minnesota is nearly two million dollars richer. A Gopher 5 ticket sold at Food N Fuel in Worthington is worth $1,911,615. The game is played on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. The prize now resets to $100,000 for the next drawing.

>>Ludacris and T-Pain Coming to the 2024 Minnesota State Fair

(Falcon Heights, MN) — Hip-hop artists Ludacris and T-Pain will perform at the Minnesota State Fair on August 27th. Ludacris has sold over 24 million rap albums and is an actor in the Fast & Furious movie franchise. T-Pain is an award-winning rapper, singer, and producer known for using the auto-tune effect on his vocals. Tickets for the August 27th show go on sale this Friday.