Latest Minnesota Headlines
All the headlines from our Minnesota Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Crews Battle ‘Rapidly Growing’ Wildfire in Northern Minnesota
Aug 17 2021 // Fire crews in northeastern Minnesota battled a “rapidly growing” wildfire Sunday, adding to a list of wildfires in the region that has prompted Gov. Tim Walz to authorize the National Guard to assist in...
Insurance Fraud Referrals Up by 11% in Minnesota in 2020
Aug 16 2021 // The number of insurance fraud investigations in Minnesota in 2020 rose by 11% compared with 2019, according to the state’s primary law enforcement agency focused on white collar crime. The Minnesota Commerce Fraud...
Court: Minnesota Healthcare Provider Must Pay $483K in Back Wages, Damages
Aug 10 2021 // The U.S. Department of Labor reached an agreement in which a Minnesota healthcare provider will pay more than $480,000 to settle wage violation allegations. U.S. District Court Judge Wilhelmina M. Wright on Aug. 5 approved...
Minnesota Restaurant Workers Shortchanged During COVID Awarded $230K
Aug 9 2021 // Employees of a Minneapolis, Minnesota, restaurant group will receive money they were denied after the company laid off workers during the COVID-19 shutdowns without giving them their final paychecks. A settlement completed...
Minnesota Governor Supports Relief for Drought-Stricken Farms
Aug 6 2021 // Gov. Tim Walz and a top state lawmakers say they will support an emergency financial relief package for farmers in Minnesota, where most of the state is in a severe or extreme drought. Walz says he would support an aid...
People Moves: Dreier Now Leading Minnesota Insurance Division; O’Brien Joins Kansas Insurance Agents Group’s Executive Committee
Aug 4 2021 // Minnesota Commerce Insurance Division Julia Dreier has been appointed to lead the Minnesota Commerce Insurance Division. Drier brings extensive knowledge and experience with Minnesota’s insurance industry. She has...
Family of Boy Thrown From Balcony Sues Minnesota’s Mall of America
Jul 30 2021 // The family of a boy who was thrown off a third-floor balcony at the Mall of America in April 2019 has filed a lawsuit accusing the mall of failing to provide proper security. The complaint filed says the mall and its...
Homeownership Study of Minnesota’s Twin Cities Shows Increase in Rentals
Jul 26 2021 // A new study found that between 2005 and 2020, the percentage of single family rentals increased by over 10% in North Minneapolis, Southeast Como and parts of St. Paul, with Southeast Como’s rentals changing due, in...
72% of Minnesota in Severe Drought
Jul 23 2021 // The latest U.S. Drought Monitor shows 72% of Minnesota is currently experiencing severe drought — a big jump from a week earlier, when 52% of the state was considered to be in severe drought. Minnesota Public Radio News...
Minnesota Leaves Condo Inspections Up to Property Owners
Jul 15 2021 // Some local building inspectors in Minnesota are fielding questions from residents worried about the safety of their condo buildings following the collapse of a tower in Surfside, Florida, in June. In Minnesota, there is no...
Officials Link Cases of Legionnaires’ Disease to Minnesota Hotel Spa
Jul 13 2021 // State health officials are investigating cases of Legionnaires’ disease linked to an Albert Lea, Minn., hotel. Early evidence suggests the source of the respiratory disease may be the spa at the at the Ramada by...
BMS Re Acquires Trean Intermediaries in Minnesota
Jul 9 2021 // BMS Re has acquired Trean Intermediaries, a Wayzata, Minn.-based independent reinsurance broker and services company. BMS Re has acquired Trean in full, with staff and infrastructure transferring to BMS Re. Sean Ryan,...
Mayo Clinic in Minnesota Sued in Alleged Snooping of Nude Patient Photos
Jul 6 2021 // Mayo Clinic has been sued by three female patients who say a former surgery resident viewed nude photographs of them in their medical records. The lawsuits claim Ahmad Alsughayer, 28, of Saginaw, Michigan, had no reason to...
EEOC Sues Minnesota’s AscensionPoint for Religious Discrimination
Jun 25 2021 // A Minnesota-based estate and probate debt recovery company that manages decedent debt recovery for creditors is facing a federal lawsuit for allegedly fired Christian employee after he refused to be fingerprinted due to...
Alera Group Acquires Direct Benefits in Minnesota
May 19 2021 // Alera Group, an independent, national insurance and wealth management firm based in Deerfield, Illinois, has acquired Direct Benefits Inc., located in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Direct Benefits specializes in insuring...
Minnesota Lumber Firm to Pay $100K in Disability Discrimination Suit Settlement
May 11 2021 // A Minnesota lumber company has agreed to pay $100,000 to resolve a disability discrimination lawsuit, federal authorities say. The lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) against Lake...
Minnesota Nursing Home Fined $27K After Employee’s Coronavirus Death
Apr 27 2021 // A suburban Minneapolis nursing home has paid the state’s largest fine for a coronavirus-related safety violation after an employee contracted COVID-19 and died. State Labor Department inspection files show Sholom...
Worker Group Alleges Unsafe Chemical Releases at Minnesota Refinery: Reuters
Apr 26 2021 // Inadequate safety standards at Marathon Petroleum’s St. Paul Park refinery in Minnesota have caused avoidable hydrocarbon and chemical releases that pose a threat to the community, a local worker advocacy group said...
Minnesota Excavation Firm to Pay $380K OSHA Penalty, Increase Employee Safety Training
Apr 22 2021 // A Minnesota-based excavation company has agreed to increase employee training on trenching and excavation hazards and pay a $380,000 penalty in a settlement agreement with the U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety...
Minnesota Restaurant/Bar to Pay $15K for Executive Order Violations
Apr 20 2021 // A Minnesota bar and restaurant will pay $15,000 to settle a lawsuit over violations of the governor’s COVID-19 restrictions orders. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said his office has settled its lawsuit...
