ST PAUL, Minn. — Hundreds of volunteers gathered in Roy Wilkins Auditorium in Saint Paul to pack meals as part of a 9/11 Day of Service event, for the Cross Services food shelf in the Northwest Metro and Second Harvest Heartland, which is handling distribution of the food.

“Food insecurity in Minnesota continues to rise so events like this are critical, especially the holiday season is just around the corner so we think of the extra budget strain on families in the community this is coming at a great time,” Anne Laskey of Second Harvest Heartland told KARE.

Among the meal packers was Governor Tim Walz, just back from a vice presidential campaign stop in Arizona.  He thanked volunteers on the packing line for spending part of their day helping to feed people.

Minutes earlier, he spoke to the whole room about the significance of public service on 9/11.

“It may have not lasted as long as we’d liked, but there was a moment around shared values. There was a moment of unity about caring for one another,” Gov. Walz told the crowd. “It’s in the times of need that we become our very best. It’s in the time of trauma that we rise to the occasion, and so thank you all for being here today.”

RELATED: Food bank announces plan to cut hunger in half for Minnesota

Volunteers also heard from Cindy McGinty, a board member with the 9/11 Day organization. McGinty, who lives in Massachusetts, lost her husband Mike in the North Tower during the attack. She talked of an acquaintance who owned a landscaping company who started mowing her lawn for free after the attack and kept doing it until she moved away eight years later.

“The terrorists thought they could tear us apart,” she said. “But what they really did was they brought us together, and that’s what 9/11 is really about.”

The goal for AmeriCorps volunteers and others who filled the auditorium was to create and pack 230,000 oatmeal instant breakfast meals.

“They approached us at AmeriCorps and said, ‘We need help finding more people to help. We need to pack a lot of boxes.’ So, we were proud to partner with them and find AmeriCorps members to help out today,” Julia Quanrud of the nonprofit Serve MN told KARE. “It is a real need. We know in Minnesota families are struggling. And, so, to come together like this and support organizations like Second Harvest heartland is a really incredible thing to do.”

SAINT PAUL, Minn — Back in 2006 in Douglas County, Michael Hansen was convicted of killing his infant daughter based in part by the testimony of Ramsey County Medical Examiner Michael McGee, who ruled her death a homicide.

That conviction was overturned in 2011 after a judge found McGee gave false testimony. McGee, who testified in counties all over the state for decades, defended himself.

“I didn’t give incorrect testimony. I gave correct testimony to the best of my ability of what we knew then and I still think its true,” McGee told KARE 11 News in 2011.

But McGee’s medical findings and testimony raised alarms in other cases too. In Kandiohi County, Thomas Rhodes was released from prison last year after the state’s Conviction Review Unit determined McGee was unreliable.

“Dr. McGee’s testimony was pivotal in that case,” said Carrie Sperling, director of the Minnesota Attorney General’s Conviction Review Unit. “Not one of the ten experts found evidence that would have supported Dr. McGee’s conclusion in that case that Jane Rhodes death was the result of a homicide.” 

And before that, in 2021, a federal judge changed the death penalty for Alphonso Rodriguez in the 2003 murder of Dru Sjodin to life in prison.

“The judge characterized the testimony of our medical examiner as false and misleading,” said Ramsey County Attorney John Choi.

That judge’s ruling caused Ramsey County Attorney John Choi to order a full review of McGee’s cases.

And now, the nonprofit group conducting the review for Choi’s office has found seven cases to scrutinize further with a panel of out-of-state medical examiners.

“In these seven cases, the cause and manner of death was at issue,” said Kristine Hamann from Prosecutors Center for Excellence, the nonprofit group hired by Choi to conduct the independent review. “I do want to caution that simply because there is seven cases, we have rendered no opinion about whether those cases are good, bad or indifferent, we are not there yet.”

Hamann says the final phase of review will involve a panel of three medical experts.

“None of them are from Minnesota, none of them know Dr. McGee,” Hamann said. “They are three highly respected medical examiners from three different parts of the nation. Each of them will review all seven cases and they will talk about them together and reach a decision.” 

When the review is finished, Choi says he is prepared to dismiss charges and release people from prison if that is the recommendation he receives.

“I think everything is on the table. Whatever justice requires us to do,” Choi said.

Minnesota Attorney General Review

So far, all four cases that have been altered due to Dr. McGee’s conclusions or testimony stemmed from crimes that took place outside of Ramsey County.

That’s why the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office is also now expanding it’s review of cases statewide in which he was a witness. 

Sperling said the first phase of that process has turned up at least 11 cases where more review is required.

“We will be consulting with independent medical experts to determine whether McGee’s testimony and opinions were accurate and appropriate,” Sperling said. “Although we can’t predict the outcome, I think we do expect that very few, if any, of these convictions will be affected by this review. Simply because, in the vast majority of homicide cases, the cause and manner of death is obvious and not really contested.”

MINNEAPOLIS — Tuning out politics with just weeks until an election can admittedly be difficult, but if you thought young voters weren’t paying attention – think again.

“I actually did watch the whole thing with some of my roommates,” Peter Kapsner, a junior at the University of St. Thomas who leans towards former President Donald Trump, said. “I thought it was really good debate. Both candidates had good game plans that they stuck to.”

“I just feel like it was much more of a debate than what we saw last time,” Deya Ahmed, a sophomore at the U of M, said.

Many we spoke with said they watched parts or the entirety of the debate.

“I think what really needed to be done was to bring excitement to voting, which I don’t think happened during the debate, especially for the youth vote,” Drue Bower, a first-year grad student at the U of M, said.

No matter who we spoke with, students on every side of the political aisle told us they were watching, forming new opinions, or deepening their connection to thoughts they already had.

“I do think I’m going to end up voting for Kamala when the election comes around,” Gavan Townsend, a third-year student at the U, said.

“I would say I’m more towards the right,” Yaphet Gg, a third-year student at the U of M, said. “I think he’s generally doing a good job of trying to attack Kamala for his base,”

That also includes voters who may have fallen more into the undecided camp.

“I was kind of leaning more towards Trump, but this kind of has me thinking a little bit more about, like, how level-headed the Harris campaign is,” U of M freshman Chase Ben-Avraham said.

What could sway young voters, they say – Taylor Swift’s endorsement of the Harris/Walz campaign, though not all agree.

“If Trump starts attacking her, they’re going to react and go, ‘Okay, this is it, I’m voting,'” Henry Kopp, a sophomore at the U, said.

“If you’re a Hulk Hogan, Harrison Butker or Kid Rock fan, you know, you’re probably already leaning right,” Benjaman Lindeen, a fourth-year student at the U of M, said. “If you’re, you know, really swayed by what Steve Kerr or Stephen Curry or Taylor Swift say, you’re probably already voting left. So I think from even a statistic standpoint, it’s probably marginal at best.”

With young voters paying close attention, they say you should do the same.

“Although it was chaotic, there was some of that chaos that might sway some people to another side,” Jake Slack, a senior at St. Thomas, said.