Mankato-The Mankato Department of Public Safety, through the Minnesota Department of Commerce, is implementing a program to help deter theft of catalytic converters. To participate, vehicle owners must register their vehicles at the Public Safety Center, 710 S. Front St. any time. Once registered, the owner will be provided with a packet that includes an identification label with a unique code and instructions and materials to install the label. "Catalytic converters do not have serial numbers or other identifying features that make them easy to trace," says Associate Director of Public Safety Dan Schisel. "Registering and labeling catalytic converters helps them be identified should they be [...]

“Brewing New Ideas” Follow-Up Survey  The City of North Mankato is inviting residents to complete a city-wide survey following the  “Brewing New Ideas” public engagement sessions held in fall of 2022. In this survey, residents  can rank ideas generated during the public engagement sessions, and provide new ideas that  weren’t previously discussed. Access the survey at northmankato.com/brewingnewideas or pick  up a paper copy at City Hall or the Taylor Library. The survey will close on February 8th, 2023. 

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(Minneapolis, MN)  --  A teen is confessing to luring a man to a downtown Minneapolis apartment, where she recorded the victim being beaten to death by her boyfriend.  Seventeen-year-old Qurionna Young says she also posted the killing, which happened in March of last year, on social media.  The defendant pleaded guilty yesterday to aiding and abetting first-degree manslaughter.  Her alleged accomplice Emmanuel Davis was sentenced to 20 years after pleading guilty.  Young is scheduled to be sentenced on April 14.

(East Bethel, MN)  --  Three construction workers who were injured in a house explosion in East Bethel are now identified.  The Anoka County Sheriff's Office says Keith Hyovalti of Oak Grove, Williams Swanson of Zimmerman, and  James Wells of Coon Rapids remain hospitalized in stable condition.  The blast took place yesterday morning at the site of a house under construction.  The cause of the explosion is still being investigated.

(Eagle Lake, MN)  --  An Eagle Lake woman faces multiple charges after police say she assaulted her boyfriend with a whole chicken.  Officers noted the victim had "chicken residue" in his hair.  She also has pending assault charges against the victim dating back to December 2021. Natalie Bruemmer, a 36-year-old Eagle Lake resident, was arrested Wednesday after coming home from a bar with the victim, according to charges.

(Minneapolis, MN)  --  Traffic is getting worse in the Twin Cities.  A new report by INRIX found drivers in Minneapolis spent 26 hours in traffic in 2022.  That's up nearly 50-percent from 2021.  Anne Meyer with the Department of Transportation  told KARE 11 that's no surprise considering many people returned to in-person work last year.  Meyer also said traffic patterns have become less predictable since the pandemic began.  She said the mornings aren't as congested, but traffic picks up in the afternoon and peak hours seem to vary everyday.

(St. Paul, MN)  --  Minnesota Senate Democrats are advancing their consumer protection package.  The package includes measures that would crack down on catalytic converter thefts, illegal robocalls, and "excessive" prescription drug price increases.  The robocall bill passed out of committee yesterday, and the catalytic converter and prescription drug bills are moving through the House.  Democratic lawmakers say the issues affect all Minnesotans.

(St. Paul, MN)  --  The state of Minnesota is making a bold step toward cutting carbon emissions.  Governor Walz signed a bill yesterday that will require utilities in the state to transition to carbon-free electricity by 2040.  The bill aims to move utilities toward wind and solar power sources, but allows them to use hydropower, biomass, hydrogen, and existing nuclear plants to reach carbon-free goals.  Minnesota's previous standard was set in 2007 and had the goal of reducing overall carbon emissions to at least 80-percent below 2005 levels by 2050.

Visitors to Minneopa State Park may soon notice fewer trees near the waterfall area of the park. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources will remove 20 trees from the area, including 17 ash trees, beginning Feb. 6. To ensure visitor safety, access to the falls will be restricted when the tree removal is underway. The “Visitor Alert” section of the Minneopa State Park website (mndnr.gov/minneopa) will be updated daily to reflect access restrictions.