Kare11
Democrats hold meeting after chaotic Minneapolis convention
Ken Martin, chair of the state DFL organization, said he’d use the meeting to propose a bylaw change “to ban individuals engaged in violent assaults” from the party.
MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota Democratic leaders met over Zoom on Thursday evening to discuss the chaos that broke out during a weekend convention to endorse a candidate for a Ward 10 Minneapolis City Council race.
Ken Martin, chair of the state Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party organization, proposed bylaw changes “to ban individuals engaged in violent assaults” from the party and “take immediate action to remove” those involved in Saturday’s disruption.
Ultimately, the DFL State Executive Committee approved multiple new bylaws Thursday. In broad terms, the first would “immediately and permanently disqualify” someone from seeking the DFL’s endorsement if they, or their supporters, engaged in or condoned violence. The second would give the DFL the power to remove individuals from elected or appointed positions within the party if they’ve engaged in violence or otherwise condoned it.
The changes must still be approved by the DFL’s State Central Committee, which is expected to meet in 10 days.
Contingent on the central committee’s approval of the two bylaws, the DFL executive committee also voted Thursday to permanently disqualify Ward 10 challenger Nasri Warsame “from seeking and receiving DFL endorsement or letters of support at any time in the future, for any office.”
Video circulating on social media shows that the disturbance began after supporters of incumbent Aisha Chughtai took the stage to seek delegates’ backing for the Ward 10 City Council seat. That sparked an uproar among backers of her challenger, Warsame. Some jumped on stage, shouting, banging on tables and waving signs. At least two people were injured, and the convention broke up with no endorsement.
Martin has said on Twitter that it was “clear that the conflict was instigated” by Warsame supporters.
Both candidates are Democrats in an overwhelmingly Democratic city when campaigns for party backing are often heated. Warsame, a political newcomer, is a Somali immigrant.
Chughtai is a longtime activist who managed U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar’s 2018 campaign. She is the daughter of Pakistani immigrants and has support from some prominent Somali American politicians, including Omar and state Sen. Zaynab Mohamed, and other Muslims, including Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison.
Chughtai has endorsements from a long list of progressive and labor groups, including the Democratic Socialists of America. Warsame has campaigned on a law-and-order message.
He said at a news conference Wednesday: “I do not condone violence. I do not condone intimidation or harassment of any sort.”
Warsame’s campaign manager, Abshir Omar, said Warsame’s supporters were victims — not perpetrators. Omar said Warsame’s supporters — who are primarily Black, Muslim and immigrants — have been the target of racism.
Chughtai released a statement saying the video does not match the Warsame campaign’s version of events.
“Campaigns that are winning and have the support of the people don’t violently disrupt the process,” she said. “As a campaign and as a movement, we’re on the path to a safer, more just Minneapolis and we look forward to continuing to share that vision with the people of Ward 10.”
Mike Erlandson, the former Minnesota DFL chair from 1999 to 2006, called Saturday’s convention “very disappointing.”
“That’s not reflective, I don’t think, of Democrats or Republicans in the state of Minnesota,” Erlandson said. “It’s a real poor representation of political engagement. It’s good to see the state DFL leadership is meeting.”
Larry Jacobs, a professor of political science at the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School, said the Ward 10 convention chaos constitutes an “emergency” for the Minnesota DFL.
“The risk here to the DFL is quite real,” Jacobs said. “I think the key thing is the response — it must be strong, swift, and unequivocal.”
Watch the latest political coverage from the Land of 10,000 Lakes in our YouTube playlist:
WATCH MORE ON KARE 11+
Download the free KARE 11+ app for Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV and other smart TV platforms to watch more from KARE 11 anytime! The KARE 11+ app includes live streams of all of KARE 11’s newscasts. You’ll also find on-demand replays of newscasts; the latest from KARE 11 Investigates, Breaking the News and the Land of 10,000 Stories; exclusive programs like Verify and HeartThreads; and Minnesota sports talk from our partners at Locked On Minnesota.
The child was taken to a nearby hospital to be treated for scratches and bite wounds to the head, face and legs.
BREMERTON, Wash. — A child and their mother were attacked by a river otter at the Bremerton Marina Thursday morning.
According to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), a woman and her young child were walking on a dock around 9:30 a.m. when the river otter pulled the child into the water. The woman said the child was underwater for a few moments before resurfacing.
WDFW officials say the otter kept attacking the woman while she pulled the child out of the water.
The child was treated at a hospital in Silverdale for scratches and bite wounds to the head, face and legs. The woman was bit on the arm.
“We are grateful the victim only sustained minor injuries due to the mother’s quick actions and child’s resiliency,” said WDFW Sergeant Ken Balazs said in a prepared statement. “We would also like to thank the Port of Bremerton for their quick coordination and communication to their marina tenants.”
According to WDFW, the otters in the marina will be “trapped and lethally removed” by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services, then tested for rabies.
River otter attacks are rare, and WDFW officials advise against instigating any close encounters. There have been six documented human-river otter incidents in Washington state in the last decade.
“When we do see this on the rare occasion that it does occur, it’s for territoriality or protecting its pups. If it’s a female, protecting its pups,” said Matt Blankenship with the WDFW.
And while many think of them as cute, curious creatures. They can cause serious injuries.
Jen Royce, who lives in Bozeman, Montana, was attacked by a river otter last summer. The damage was extensive.
“I had really large bite wounds on each cheek. A really big gash on this left side of my eye here.. luckily it didn’t get my eye.. it bit through my nose,” Royce said.
She wants to urge others to be cautious around the animal.
“My main goal is to spread awareness. I don’t want people to go out and kill otters. That’s not what this is about. It’s about trying to be more prepared in nature,” Royce said. “Not to let your guard down and hopefully, if someone learns something from my story. I feel like that’s why I’m still here.”
Medtronic’s latest Deep Brain Stimulation device allows Bruce Lunde to control his tremors remotely, with a cell phone, and that’s not all.
MERRIFIELD, Minn. — Bruce Lunde has never let his age stop him from staying active, so when Parkinson’s Disease threatened to slow him down at the age of 81, he decided to take action.
Lunde recently underwent surgery in order to become the first patient in the upper Midwest to receive Medtronic’s latest Deep Brain Stimulation device.
“Within seconds my tremor was gone,” Lunde said, recalling the moment doctors activated the device, which was implanted via surgery. “It’s amazing what they can do.”
A Very Active Octogenarian
After teaching in Edina for 35 years, Bruce and his wife, Gail Lunde, retired to the woods of central Minnesota, where they remain today.
“I enjoy cutting wood and I enjoy splitting wood,” said Lunde, who relies on a wood-burning stove to heat their home. “I like to have enough on hand to stay a year ahead, so I don’t sit around too much.”
Lunde is also active in his church choir and enjoys running and boxing, so it didn’t take long for his tremors to begin to impact his life.
“The tremor was bothering me more, particularly when I was singing,” he recalled. “I couldn’t hold my sheet music. I tried medication but I felt like my tremor didn’t improve.”
When doctors first diagnosed Bruce with Parkinson’s Disease a few years ago, they told him he might be a good candidate for deep brain stimulation.
“It’s changing the way that the brain networks work, enhancing the pathways that help you move,” said Dr. Robert McGovern, a neurosurgeon at M Health Fairview.
But brain surgery is required in order to make that possible.
“It’s one long kind of wire that gets sent into the brain,” Dr. McGovern said. “We implant two tiny electrodes and calibrate them. They are connected to that wire which then connects to the device.”
Though Brain Stimulation Devices have been around for many years, Dr. McGovern says early batteries often didn’t last beyond just 2-3 years and required additional surgeries to replace.
When Medtronic began introducing wireless charging capabilities in recent years, it was a game changer for many patients, including Bruce.
“It’s charging right now and I just sit like this,” Bruce said, showing off the charging pad draped over his shoulder that indicated that it was connected to the DBS device implanted in the upper part of his chest.
“I wasn’t interested in undergoing multiple surgeries,” he said. “This battery is expected to last more than 10 years.”
In addition to the wireless charging, Bruce can also calibrate his own device with nothing more than a few taps on a cell phone. That means he can consult his doctors from his home and dial in his treatment around his lifestyle.
“The tremor isn’t 100% gone,” he said. “But what a blessing it has been. I feel normal again.”
Dr. McGovern said the most exciting aspect of the device may be yet to come. It features Medtronic’s new BrainSense Technology.
Dr. McGovern: “One of the cool things about it is it actually records the brain signals on the device to individualize the therapy.”
Kent Erdahl: “So, in a sense, the device is getting smarter?”
Dr. McGovern: “Yeah. One, we can learn more about what’s happening in the brain throughout the course of the disease. Two, we know that it works already, but this is potentially a way to make it a lot better.”
Despite all of that promise, Dr. McGovern said he is grateful for Bruce’s courage to embrace the new technology at his age, something even Gail struggled with initially.
“It’s something I have a hard time thinking about,” Gail said, recalling the first time she learned about the surgery. “I didn’t want it to be done, but Bruce was ready for it. So we did it.”
They are both grateful they did.
“I don’t worry too much about it,” Bruce said. “I feel confident that I’m going to be able to function for a long time.”
“The memories are intense,” Beth Eilers, president of the Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge 14, said.
APPLE VALLEY, Minn. — It’s been nearly seven months since two Burnsville police officers and a firefighter/paramedic were killed in the line of duty. Since then, grief has been hard to overcome for many in the departments.
“The memories are intense,” Beth Eilers, president of the Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge 14, said. “It will stick with them forever, it just get’s lighter, gets a little bit further back.”
Eilers says a potential source of closure will come as the names of those three – Adam Finseth, Paul Elmstrand and Matthew Ruge – are enshrined on national memorials in Washington, DC, next year. Getting there is expensive, though.
That’s why hundreds came to Bogart’s in Apple Valley Thursday for a fundraiser to get those departments there next year.
“This is dedicated to getting the whole force to Washington, DC, for the dedication,” Chris Loth, co-owner of Bogarts Entertainment Center, said. “It’s a way to honor those who risk their lives to take care of us, to keep us safe.”
Money raised from tickets to get in for a show by Good for Gary, along with a silent auction, will all go towards that goal. Amy and Tom Strese came from Farmington to show their support.
“Super important that they can honor their brothers that we lost,” Amy said.
“You can’t take back that engraving,” Tom added. “So when it gets engraved, and everybody can view it, that solidifies their sacrifice.”
While hearts were heavy inside Bogart’s Thursday night, Eilers knows that money will help.
“It’s a sad night that has a good ending,” she said.
Loth says they’d like to hold more events like this in the future.
GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings