Brainerd beating brings stirs community

Posted at 4:25 PM on February 11, 2011 by Michael Olson (0 Comments)
Filed under: Regions

Willie Navy was in Yesterday's Gone in Brainerd -- his regular watering hole -- when, he said, two men assaulted him because of the color of his skin. The incident of alleged racial intolerance tops our list of stories this week.

Navy said he's a regular at the bar and knows several employees there. "It was ... closing time and the dude approached me like, 'What are you doing here, nigger?' " "So I approached him and said, 'What are you talking about?' And somebody hit me in the back of my head. That knocked me out right there. And the only thing I could feel was my face getting kicked in," Navy told KSAX.

Lucas Eastwood and Travis Campbell, were at Yesterday's Gone at the same time as Navy. The Brainerd Dispatch reports that "an employee at the bar heard Eastwood say he wanted to assault Navy because Navy was black and Eastwood wanted to fight that night."

Authorities have charged the two men for the brutal attack that may result in Navy losing his eyesight in one eye. The Dispatch has a tick-tock of the events of that morning in Brainerd.

If convicted, the duo could end up spending 20 years in jail. They are scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday. They won't be alone. A group calling themselves "Crow Wing Citizens Stand Against Racism" will also be at the Crow Wind County Judicial Center Tuesday demonstrating against the violence.

Also this week: Different takes on Gov. Mark Dayton's State of the State speech, Fight is on as Dayton vetoes GOP cuts, After Minneapolis incident Chipotle considers expanding use of E-Verify to check if employees are authorized to work in the United States, Twin Cities home values still skidding downward, 26,000 Minnesotans lost their homes in 2010, St. Paul shapes new voting system, Fairmont School plans to cut 40 jobs, SMSU moves to foster culture of anti-racism, Another close-call for ice fishermen on Lake Superior, Alleged cattle rustlers charged, Is Minnesota still the best state for hockey talent?, Ag equipment market doing well in good year for farmers, A sweet situation for sugar industry, Cold weather heats up car repair shops, Mayor: LGA cuts could raise property taxes by 300%, and DNR bans feeding deer amid CWD concerns.

Michael Olson is online editor for Minnesota Today. His weekly news roundups appear on Friday.

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Some cities see boost in local sales tax collections

Posted at 8:17 AM on September 20, 2010 by Tom Robertson (0 Comments)
Filed under: Government, Northwest Minnesota, Regions

Local sales tax collections are up in a number of Minnesota cities, according to an article in the Bemidji Pioneer.

Local tax revenue in Rochester, for example, is up more than 14 percent so far this year. Austin is up nearly 9.5 percent and Bemidji is up around 8.5 percent. In some cities, this is the first increase since the start of the recession.

These taxes fund a variety of local projects. In Bemidji for example, a half-cent local sales tax goes toward parks and trail improvements. At the end of next year, the money will shift to pay back bonds for a big project to redevelop the south shore of Lake Bemidji, including development of a hockey arena and events center that opens next month

City finance officials in Bemidji were pleasantly surprised by the size of the increase. It means people are buying more taxable goods.

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DNR seeks input on Lake Vermilion State Park master plan

Posted at 10:10 AM on September 8, 2010 by Tom Robertson (1 Comments)
Filed under: Arrowhead, Environment, Government, Regions, Sports & Recreation

The DNR is taking another step toward development of Minnesota's newest state park. The agency is looking for public comment on what people want to see in the new Lake Vermilion State Park in northeast Minnesota.

Lake Vermilion State Park was established earlier this summer when the state closed on a 3,000-acre land transaction with U.S. Steel.

The DNR is asking people to respond to a short questionnaire.

The questionnaire includes 19 questions. They explore the kinds of experiences and facilities Minnesotans would like to have in their newest state park. The process takes most people around five minutes to complete.

"We'd like this to be a year-round destination," says state Parks and Trails Director Courtland Nelson. "So we're asking everyone to think about what would entice you to come to the park in the winter as well as the summer."

The questionnaire will be available through the end of September. Answers will be used by DNR staff and the park's Citizen Advisory Committee to guide the master planning process.

Another public input period will happen later this fall, when the DNR will ask for comments on the draft park master plan.

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Moorhead drug bust targets traffickers

Posted at 11:57 AM on August 23, 2010 by Dan Gunderson (0 Comments)
Filed under: Northwest Minnesota, Regions

A 20-year-old Texas woman was arrested this morning in Moorhead as part of an ongoing investigation of drug trafficking in the Fargo-Moorhead area.

Samantha Lynn Barrientos is in the Clay County jail on felony controlled substance charges. Police also seized marijuana and cocaine valued at $40,000 from a south Moorhead home.

Police say the drugs were packaged to avoid detection by drug sniffing dogs. They believe the drugs are being shipped from Texas to Moorhead.

Police say this latest bust is part of an ongoing investigation of a Texas drug connection.

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