Minnesota

Recent crash reignites concerns over Minnesota Highway 42′s speed limit

Published

4 months ago

September 5, 2024

Recent crash reignites concerns over Minnesota Highway 42′s speed limit

EYOTA, Minn. (KTTC) – After Wednesday night’s crash in Olmsted County, the speed limit of Minnesota Highway 42 near Eyota was called into question once again. According to Eyota’s Mayor Tyrel Clark, the road’s speed limit has been a longstanding issue.

Clark and other residents say they believe the speed limit is too high.

“We’ve been concerned about the speed on Highway 42 for a number of years,” Mayor Clark said. “In fact, over the time of our concern, it’s actually gotten faster, went from 55 mph to 60 mph.”

Speed limit of Minnesota Highway 42.(KTTC)

Wednesday night, law enforcement responded to a crash on Highway 42 between a semi-truck and a farm tractor. The semi driver was not injured, but the tractor’s driver, 25-year-old Charles Sachs of Eyota, was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries.

Clark stated this week’s crash is one of many that have happened on this stretch of Highway 42.

“Mainly it has to do with the speed of vehicles, turning on and off vehicles, and then vehicles stopping along next to railroad tracks,” Clark said. “We have a lot of tanker trucks that stop at the railroad tracks over here, and, really, part of the slowing down of traffic is because of that. There’s a lot of stop vehicles directly on the highway and that has caused fatalities in the past.”

According to the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT), changing the speed limit of a state highway is not a simple process.

“We aren’t able, like in our district, just to arbitrarily change speed limits,” MnDOT Spokesperson Michael Dougherty said. “We need to go through the whole analysis review and then it’s forwarded to our state traffic office that then looks through it and assures it. This is because you want to have predictable speed limits uniform across the state. So, no matter where you travel, you have a good sense of what those speed limits are.”

Dougherty stated a study on Highway 42 is currently in the works. Once it is completed, the results will be shared with the city.

“If it’s going to change, then how soon would the speed limit signs change? How do we make sure that there’s awareness so that drivers that maybe are used to a different speed now understand that’s changed?” Dougherty said. “If it stays the same, there will be information that our traffic engineer will talk about and explain why this was such and this is what the rules that we were following that led us to this determination.”

In the meantime, both Clark and Dougherty encouraged drivers to pay attention to the road and follow the traffic regulations.

“Everybody’s frustrated with how long it takes, but we are anticipating looking at that study, having them release that study, and we do appreciate them working on it.”

The study on Highway 42 is expected to wrap up this fall.

Find stories like this and more, in our apps.

Source link

Related Topics:42 department department of transportation eyota Featured highway highway 42 minnesota minnesota highway 42 Mn mndot of Transportation

Click to comment

Minnesota

Family of Minnesota woman sentenced for drug trafficking says she got caught up with cartel after getting stuck in Mexico

Published

8 hours ago

January 15, 2025

Press Room

Family of Minnesota woman sentenced for drug trafficking says she got caught up with cartel after getting stuck in Mexico

Former CIA agent opens up about cartel connections in Minnesota

02:00

ST. CLOUD, Minn. — Several events in Minnesota have had ties to the Sinaloa Cartel, including a Minnesota woman who was sentenced to more than 26 years in prison.

“Obviously, she messed up… but she does not deserve to sit that much time,” said Tanja Tilleskjor, mother of Macalla Knot.

Friends and family of Knott, or “Calla,” say she’s not what you think after Knott pleaded guilty to distributing nearly $10 million worth of drugs from Mexico to the upper Midwest.

“I understand there are consequences for her actions, but I have seen people’s lives transformed,” Ashley Schlichting, a longtime friend of Knot, said.

Knott moved south of the border in March 2020 after being laid off. Her family says she tried to come back but didn’t have a passport to do so.

“I think it went dark really fast, went downhill very quickly and was stuck in a situation she couldn’t get out of,” Schlichting said.

Former CIA Agent Jack Rice explained how this can happen.

“Imagine what happens when somebody says, ‘How would you like $100,000?Look how easy this will be. It’s a couple of hours work. It’s nothing.’” Rice said.

Knott’s sentencing happened just days before three were charged in a Cartel-related kidnapping in St. Paul.

“They are much more difficult to actually control than smaller organizations in the Twin Cities and elsewhere. These are powerful multi-national operations with huge resources” Rice said. “The cartel is here to make money. The cartel is here to make profit.”

Frankie McLister

Frankie McLister, originally from Middletown, Maryland, holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism.

Source link

Minnesota

‘Attempted coup’: Chaos reigns in half-empty Minnesota House

Published

16 hours ago

January 14, 2025

Press Room

Chaos reigns in half-empty Minnesota House

Chaos reigned over the House on the first day of the Minnesota legislative session – with Democrats not showing up in an effort to prevent a quorum, and Republicans assuming power and pushing forward. FOX 9’s Corin Hoggard has the latest developments.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) – Minnesota appears to be in a constitutional crisis on day one of the legislative session.

Constitutional crisis

What we know:

The war over control of the House saw its first air strikes on Tuesday, with Democrats staying away and Republicans seizing control.

A half empty House greeted Secretary of State Steve Simon as he launched the 2025 session.

But after a roll call, Simon said there weren’t enough members to do any business.

“There being 67 members present, there is no quorum as required by the Constitution of the state of Minnesota,” the Secretary of State said. “The House may not conduct any further business and the House of Representatives is adjourned.”

“The House is not adjourned,” interjected Rep. Harry Niska, (R-Ramsey). “You do not have authority over the House of Representatives.”

MN House Republicans override Simon, declare a quorum [RAW]

After Secretary of State Steve Simon sent the House into recess after saying there wasn’t a quorum presence, the 67 Republicans present moved to remove Simon and instate Paul Anderson to take the roster. Anderson then declared there was a quorum, and Republicans voted Simon’s adjournment out of order. Republicans proceeded with business, with no Democrats in the chamber. Democrats had made good on their promise not to show up on the first day of the Minnesota Legislature.

‘Attempted coup’

Dig deeper:

As Simon walked away, Republicans took over and ran the day’s session as if nothing had happened.

They cast a unanimous vote for Rep. Lisa Demuth (R-Cold Spring) as Speaker of the House, which would make her the state’s first person of color in the role.

The DFL caucus watched it happen from 30 miles away.

“What we saw today was an attempted coup,” said Rep. Jamie Long (DFL-Minneapolis).

DFL leaders explain absence from MN House

Saying they are protecting the “will of the voters,” leaders with Minnesota’s Democratic party explain why they were absent from the House of Representatives on Tuesday during the start of Minnesota’s legislative session.

Dozens of members made Shakopee headquarters for the day.

They called the Republican session a sham, but they recognize people across the state may have strong feelings when they see video of their empty seats.

“I would imagine that Minnesotans are irritated with both of us,” said Rep. Melissa Hortman (DFL-Brooklyn Park). “I would imagine that they’re irritated with us for not being there. And I would imagine they’re irritated with Republicans for wanting to throw out a duly elected member, especially on the day that the courts ruled that he clearly won.”

Room for agreement?

Big picture view:

Democrats have offered to give Republicans majority control until they’re no longer a majority, likely in February, instead of for a full two years.

Republicans say every offer they’ve heard is unreasonable.

“What we are offering is to come in,” said Rep. Demuth. “I am the Speaker of the House, and we look forward to working with them over the next two years in a reasonable way.”

What’s next:

Republicans say they intend to come every day and go about House business.

Democrats started their day in Shakopee with a judge ruling in favor of Rep. Brad Tabke.

Despite the ruling, Republicans are still threatening to vote not to seat Rep. Tabke.

Democrats will now go to the Supreme Court to stop Republicans from blocking Rep. Tabke and from ruling the House while they’re not around.

They’re hoping a ruling could come within a couple of weeks.

PoliticsMinnesotaElectionSt. Paul

Source link

Minnesota

NEXT Weather: Minnesota forecast from Jan. 14, 2025

Published

23 hours ago

January 14, 2025

Press Room

NEXT Weather: Minnesota forecast from Jan. 14, 2025 – CBS Minnesota

Watch CBS News

WCCO meteorologist Joseph Dames says Tuesday will be sunny, with a high in single digits and a wind chill of 5 degrees below zero. A warmup is coming, but it won’t last long.