Minnesota
Minnesota's Welcome Corps celebrates 1 year of helping refugees resettle
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – Minnesota has a history of welcoming refugees from all over the world. Some Minnesotans have found a new way to help displaced people through a federal program that celebrated its first anniversary on Jan. 19.
Malow Osman and his wife, Fatumo Yusef, and their two children moved from Somalia to Minnesota 3 months ago in search of a better life. Traditional tea gives them a taste of their home country, but starting over is never easy, especially when it’s halfway around the world.
“It is difficult but at least we are trying. I’m feeling very good and better, but I’m worried about the cold,” said Osman.
About 30 members of the Nokomis Square Cooperative Senior Living Facility in South Minneapolis joined together to help Osman and his family through a program called Welcome Corps, which allows groups of at least 5 private citizens to sponsor refugees for 90 days as they resettle in the United States.
The Nokomis Welcome Group as they call themselves has helped the family with everything from finding an apartment to getting food to learning their way around town.
“The fact that we have built a relationship with Osman and Fatumo has been very rewarding for all of us,” said Cynthia Devereaux, a member of the Nokomis Welcome Club.
The non-profit Alight says it has worked with 17 sponsor groups here in Minnesota since Welcome Corps started a year ago.
The charity says Minnesota is consistently the top state for helping displaced people through the program.
“We’ve seen church groups. We’ve seen folks that have come together because they’re in a book club. We’ve seen all different types of people, whether they be related, friends in an organized group,” said Steph Koehne, Alight Private Sponsorship Lead.
Osman says thanks to the relationships he and his family have built with the Nokomis Welcome Group, Minnesota is starting to feel like home and he hopes those friendships last long after their sponsorship is over.
“Home is where we started a life, so we can’t forget Minnesota,” said Osman.
If you’d like more information about becoming a sponsor through the Welcome Corps program, click here.
Minnesota
After a perfect October, Minnesota visits No. 24 Illinois looking for fourth straight win
Minnesota (5-3, 3-2 Big Ten) at No. 24 Illinois (6-2, 3-2), Saturday, noon ET (FS1)
BetMGM College Football Odds: Minnesota by 3.
Series record: Minnesota leads 40-33-2.
WHAT’S AT STAKE?
After losing 38-9 last week to No. 1 Oregon, the Illini risk dropping out of the AP Top 25 with a home loss to Minnesota. The Gophers had a perfect October, beating then-No. 11 Southern California, UCLA and Maryland, and will become bowl eligible with a win over Illinois. Minnesota hasn’t beaten two Top 25 teams during the regular season since 2000.
KEY MATCHUP
Illinois QB Luke Altmyer vs. the Minnesota secondary. Altmyer is seventh in the Big Ten in passing yardage (1,667), seventh in passing efficiency (143.9), fourth in TD passes (15) and tied for first for fewest interceptions (3). He’ll be tested by the Gophers, who have allowed just five passing TDs this season. CBs Justin Walley and Ethan Robinson shut down Maryland’s dangerous passing attack last week.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Illinois: DB Xavier Scott. Named this week one of 15 semifinalists for the Jim Thorpe Award that honors the nation’s best defensive back, Scott is tied for third in the Big Ten with three interceptions and has 29 tackles, two tackles for losses, a sack, two pass breakups and a forced fumble.
Minnesota: WR Elijah Spencer. In his second season with the Gophers after transferring from Charlotte, Spencer finally had a breakout game against Maryland last week with six catches for 99 yards and two touchdowns. He gives the Gophers another downfield threat in addition to Daniel Jackson, who had nine catches for 117 yards and TDs vs. Maryland after a career-high 10 catches two weeks earlier against UCLA.
FACTS & FIGURES
Illinois has been ranked for seven consecutive weeks, the most since the 2001 Big Ten championship team was ranked for 10 straight weeks … The Illini are the only Big Ten team with three wins over ranked teams this season. Their only losses are to No. 1 Oregon and No. 3 Penn State. … The Gophers beat Maryland 48-23 last week. It was the most points they’d scored in a conference game since 2019, when they beat Maryland 52-10. The 25-point margin of victory was their largest in a Big Ten game since a 31-3 win over Northwestern in 2022. … Minnesota safety Koi Perich leads the Big Ten and is No. 2 in the nation with five interceptions. The freshman also leads the conference with an average of 14.2 yards per punt return. … The Gophers last had a four-game Big Ten winning streak in 2021 — a streak ended by the Illini with a 14-6 win at Minnesota.
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Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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Judge dismisses lawsuit by family of Ricky Cobb II against Minnesota state trooper Londregan over fatal shooting
A federal judge Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit against Minnesota state trooper Ryan Londregan in the shooting death of Ricky Cobb II during a 2023 traffic stop.
The decision is the latest development in a case that has drawn heated debate over excessive use of force by law enforcement. Criminal charges against Londregan were dismissed by Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty in June, saying the prosecution didn’t have the evidence to proceed with a case.
On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Nancy E. Brasel granted Londregan’s motion to dismiss the civil suit, arguing he acted reasonably when he opened fire as Cobb’s vehicle lurched forward with another state trooper partly inside.
Londregan’s attorney Chris Madel said Wednesday that it’s been a “long, grueling journey to justice. Ryan Londregan has finally arrived.”
On July 31, 2023, the two troopers pulled over Cobb, 33, on Interstate 94 in north Minneapolis for driving without taillights and later learned he was wanted for violating a felony domestic no-contact order. Cobb refused commands to exit the car.
Rashad Cobb reflecting earlier in the year on the life of his twin brother Ricky Cobb ll. At left is family attorney Harry M. Daniels. (Jerry Holt)
With Seide partly inside the car while trying to unbuckle Cobb’s seat belt, the car moved forward. Londregan then opened fire, hitting Cobb twice.
In her decision, Brasel said the troopers were mandated by state law to make an arrest given Cobb’s domestic no-contact order violation. She said it was objectively reasonable for Londregan to believe Seide was in immediate danger as the car moved forward on a busy highway, which would make his use of force reasonable.
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