Officials are investigating after an angler was found dead in his boat on the shore of Mille Lacs Lake. The Mille Lacs County sheriff's office says 59-year-old Daniel Gable, of Hastings, was reported missing by his wife around 11 p.m. Friday. Searchers found his body Saturday morning inside his boat, where it had washed ashore near the landing. An autopsy was planned to determine the cause of death.

The following upcoming presentations at the VINE Adult Community Center will help people prepare for end of life planning. Both programs are free to VINE members and cost $5 for non-members:   Get Your Ducks in a Row: 1-2:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 31. VINE staff will provide guidance for gathering and storing significant personal information so it’s available to your loved ones after you die. A guidebook can be purchased for $10 and includes all of the information you need. Register by July 29 at (507) 386-5586.   Five Wishes: 1-2:30 p.m. Thursday, August 1. VINE staff will help you plan [...]

A man fatally shot in north Minneapolis over the weekend lost his brother to gun violence just a block away two years ago. Community members held a vigil Sunday afternoon on a corner near where the brothers were killed to pray for an end to gun violence. The latest man to die has been identified by family as 37-year-old Gregory Hoskins. He was shot and killed just after midnight Sunday. The Star Tribune says that in July 2017, his brother, 32-year-old Divittin Hoskins, was killed under similar circumstances. Police said at the time that Divittin Hoskins was killed in retaliation for [...]

Minnesota's top elected officials said this week they'll enforce new state law against wage theft by employers, even if the victims are workers not in the U-S legally.   State Attorney General Keith Ellison warns employers about the exploitation of undocumented immigrants... "There are some folks who we know seek out undocumented people because they think there won't be enforcement action.   Those people are mistaken and they should abide by the law." Observers say strict enforcement of Minnesota's wage theft law could set up a conflict with federal enforcement of immigration laws. Republicans aren't commenting.

With the hands-free law going into effect Aug. 1, Mayo Clinic Health System and Mayo Clinic Ambulance Service are reminding the public of the importance of staying focused behind the wheel. “‘Distracted driving’ may include putting on makeup, looking down to tune the radio, using a navigation system or even eating a meal while driving,” says Gail Norris, regional trauma program manager for Mayo Clinic Health System’s southwest Minnesota region. “But cellphone use and texting are the biggest issue. When you text while driving, you are combining all three types of distraction: visual, manual and cognitive.” Visual distraction occurs when drivers [...]

On Thursday, July 25, DQ West in downtown Mankato is encouraging the local community to purchase a Blizzard to benefit our local Children’s Specialty Clinic on the Wickersham campus.   For every Blizzard® Treat sold during the 14th Annual DQ® Miracle Treat Day, DQ West will donate $1 to our local children’s center on the Wickersham campus.   Children’s Miracle Hospitals® (CMNH) raises funds and awareness for 170 children’s hospitals across the U.S. and Canada including the one in Mankato.   “We do this to help save and improve the lives of children locally. These families need our support and together we [...]

Minnesota Senator and Democratic candidate for president Amy Klobuchar this morning addressed the recent controversy involving President Trump and the so-called "squad"--including Minnesota Representative Ilhan Omar... "The issue is that he has chosen to go after four women, elected members of Congress, he has chosen to tell them they should go home, basically, which is a racist code word in my mind." Klobuchar made the comments while participating in a series of candidate interviews with the Washington Post. Trump on Sunday tweeted "I don’t believe the four Congresswomen are capable of loving our country. They should apologize to America (and Israel) [...]

More loons are getting tested for West Nile Virus this week, after the DNR reports an uptick in dead loons in northeastern Minnesota... "We are asking the public that if they see two or more dead loons on a lake that they report that to us, and we're doing this as a way to track where people are finding dead loons and track where the West Nile Virus may be occurring." The DNR's Gaea Crozier says infected mosquitoes transfer the disease to the loons--which die quickly as a result. If you see dead loons, simply email the information to the nearest [...]

Backers are urging state lawmakers to increase the tobacco-buying age to 21 in all of Minnesota after the state's 40th community -- Benton County -- approved it last week.   Laura Smith with Minnesotans for a Smoke-Free Generation says: "Minnesota has far more Tobacco 21 communities than any other state that lacks a statewide policy, so we really hope that that will show that there's the political will across the state." A "Tobacco 21" bill passed the Minnesota House last legislative session but did not survive budget negotiations with the Senate.