ST. PAUL SHOOTING

1 killed, 14 wounded in shootout at Minnesota bar

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Authorities say a shootout at a busy bar in St. Paul, Minnesota, has left one woman dead and 14 other people wounded. The shooting happened shortly after midnight at the Seventh Street Truck Park bar. Police say preliminary information indicates several people fired gunshots. It’s not yet clear what led to the shootout. Police arrested three men who are being treated at a hospital for injuries from the shootout. The Seventh Street Truck bar is in an entertainment district just south of the Xcel Energy Center, where the NHL’s Minnesota Wild play. The Star Tribune reports that the woman in her 20s who was killed is the 32nd homicide victim in the city so far this year. 

VIRUS OUTBREAK-MINNESOTA

Minnesota long-term care facilities have 23,000 job openings

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — While much has been made about the stress that COVID-19 has placed on Minnesota hospitals, the state’s long-term care industry says it is facing its worst-ever workforce shortage. Leaders from senior living organizations throughout the state say they have about 23,000 job openings. That is about 20 percent of the workforce at full strength. Leaders say resignations continue to outpace new hires at a time when there are more seniors in Minnesota than ever before. Minnesota Public Radio News reports that staffing shortages are leading to tighter admissions policies. A survey shows that nearly 70 percent of nursing homes are restricting admissions in some way because they are short-staffed.

PHOTO FLAP

North Dakota photo business closure leaves couples in lurch

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — The abrupt closure of a North Dakota-based photography business has left couples in a four-state area scrambling to locate wedding photos or find new photographers for upcoming nuptials. Glasser Images owner Jack Glasser said that due in large part to COVID-19 the Bismarck studio “simply couldn’t keep up with our ongoing costs, debt repayment, salaries, rent and other business expenses.” He told customers in an email he cannot offer refunds. The North Dakota Attorney General’s Office said it had fielded more than 170 complaints about the situation by Friday afternoon and was investigating. Glasser’s attorney, Tim O’Keeffe, tells The Bismarck Tribune he and Glasser will talking to customers in the next couple of days. The company did business in the Dakotas, Minnesota and Colorado.

DAUNTE WRIGHT-OFFICER

State wants leeway on sentencing rules in Daunte Wright case

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Prosecutors are seeking approval for a more severe penalty than what is outlined in state guidelines if a former suburban Minneapolis police officer is convicted in the shooting death of Daunte Wright. Former Brooklyn Center Officer Kim Potter is facing charges of first- and second-degree manslaughter in the April death of Wright. The sentencing guidelines for first-degree manslaughter range from 6 to 81/2 years in prison. The move is similar to one made by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison in the trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin, the Minneapolis police officer convicted in George Floyd’s death. Potter has pleaded not guilty. She is scheduled to stand trial in December.

CABIN SHOOTING

Woman found fatally shot in Crow Wing County cabin

BRAINERD, Minn. (AP) — Sheriff’s officials say a woman was found fatally shot in a cabin in Crow Wing County after deputies responded to a call about gunfire and arrested an armed man. Dispatchers received a shooting complaint about 11 p.m. Thursday. The caller said several gunshots were heard in Lake Edward Township. Law enforcement officers responded and encountered a man armed with a rifle and a handgun. After nearly two hours of negotiations, the man agreed to put his weapons down and he was taken into custody. While searching the property near where the complaint originated, deputies found an adult female dead in a cabin from a gunshot wound. 

SENIOR CARE STAFFING

Minnesota care homes struggle with record staff shortages

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota’s senior care homes are struggling with record staff shortages as people leave the industry faster than they can replaced. The Long-Term Care Imperative says there are 23,000 unfilled senior caregiver positions across Minnesota. That compares with 8,000 last March. And the industry lost 2,000 more workers in August. KARE-TV reports that burnout from the pandemic is often cited. Patti Cullen, CEO of Care Providers of Minnesota, says workers are exhausted from 100-hour weeks and double shifts, in full protective gear during a hot summer. Many nursing homes have capped admissions until they can hire more people.

MANSLAUGHTER-SENTENCE

Man given probation in fatal St. Paul shooting

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — The second of two brothers charged in the fatal shooting of an off-duty firefighter in St. Paul has been sentenced to probation after pleading guilty to manslaughter. A 67 month prison sentence for Dontay Caraway was stayed Thursday and he was given credit for 686 days spent in jail. Earlier this year, Caraway’s brother, Blake Caraway, was acquitted of second-degree murder in the death of Thomas Harrigan. The victim tried to intervene in a fight over a cellphone and was shot by Blake Caraway after the brothers went to Harrigan’s house in St. Paul. 

GEORGE FLOYD-PROTESTS-POLICE

Minneapolis mayor: Police conduct in ’20 unrest is ‘galling’

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Newly released video that shows Minneapolis police officers talking about “hunting people” during unrest following the death of George Floyd has become an issue in the upcoming citywide election. Mayor Jacob Frey says body camera footage that also shows officers kicking and beating a man who had surrendered is “galling.” But some of Frey’s challengers and some City Council members were quick to criticize, saying Frey should have done more to control the department. The footage was released less than a month before the election, in which residents will vote on whether to replace the police department with a new agency.

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