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BLOOMINGTON, Minn. - Gov.
Fueling rumors that Sen. John McCain is looking at Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty as his running mate is confirmation that the two were in the same place at the same time the other morning. From MSNBC: "Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R-Minn.) did a CNBC hit from McCain HQ in Arlington today, where McCain himself was doing interviews. A Pawlenty aide wouldn't confirm if he spent time with the senator, though. Officially, he was in Washington today for a quarterly meeting of the National Infrastructure Advisory Council." Pawlenty is a McCain national campaign co-chairman.
The Minnesota House speaker was out of pocket, so House Majority Leader Tony Sertich of Chisholm was called upon the other day to discuss his party's legislative races. But while he is a political junkie, he had other things on his mind. After all, it was just days before he got married. "I have a different list from a different leader," he said when asked a question for which he had no answer. If the shoe fits ... Looking down at a gathering of Republican Minnesota state House candidates proved interesting. Some wore dress shoes. Some wore walking shoes.
The election results are in. No, they are not from a political race, but from an online poll of the sexiest Minnesota Capitol dwellers. The Rake, an online magazine, accepted nominations for "the most beautiful, spectacular and otherwise hot people who labor at the Capitol." Five men and five women -- lobbyists, legislative staffers, a lawmaker and even press corps members -- made the cut. They took part in a photo shoot featured on The Rake's Web site as they vie for "king and queen of Minnesota politics." There were plenty of nominations -- and a few people unhappy with the results.
The Superior (Wis.) Police Department said three young boys and their mother, reported missing last week, were found safe early today in Ashland. Police arrested the mother for interfering with a custody case. Colleen Larson, and her children, ages 6, 10 and 11, were found at a shelter in Ashland, Wis., Superior police said in a news release. Police had asked for the public's help in locating the family, from Rush City, Minn., after they were reported missing Friday. The family had last been seen in Superior on Thursday, apparently headed for Ashland, police said.
WILLMAR -- Recovery efforts were in full force over the weekend after a Friday evening twister ripped through two businesses on the southeast edge of Willmar and plowed down three rural homes and several turkey barns. Mild weather Saturday and Sunday helped the cleanup go well, but strong winds blew grit, field dirt and sawdust into eyes and faces to provide just one more reminder of the tornado that seemed to pop out of nowhere on Friday.
MINNEAPOLIS -- A judge has ruled against Wal-Mart in a class-action lawsuit, saying the discount retailer violated state labor laws 2 million times by cutting worker break time and "willfully" allowing employees to work off the clock. Dakota County Judge Robert King Jr.
A 10-year-old boy was injured south of Cotton on Tuesday when the weapon he was firing malfunctioned. According to a news release from the St. Louis County Sheriff's Office, the boy, from St. Paul, was visiting his family's cabin in Northland Township when the accident happened about 9 a.m. Tuesday. The boy and his father, Paul Schmidt, had been firing "an old homemade type of firearm" they had used in the past, the news release said. The weapon broke apart and sent shrapnel into the boy's head and face. He was airlifted to St.
WILLMAR -- A push is under way to make Minnesota's workers' compensation system more responsive to employer needs and the needs of injured workers. Four work groups studying potential reforms are expected to make their recommendations by this fall to the Workers' Compensation Advisory Council. The result will be a reform bill introduced next year to the Minnesota Legislature. "This system has the potential of becoming better," said Steve Sviggum, commissioner of the state Department of Labor and Industry, which oversees worker safety and workers' compensation.
Break out the hiking boots and binoculars! The rare Cooper's hawk won't be edged out by urban sprawl. A 49-acre bluff site overlooking the St. Croix River valley and Franconia now has the highest level of state protection. It's open to the public for birding, wildlife watching, viewing wildflowers, hiking and education and scientific research The area is within a six-mile corridor running from Taylor's Falls to Scandia. It contains a rich diversity of native plant communities, from cliffs and seepage swamps, to prairies and pine forests.