ST PAUL, Minn. — A celebrity chef is in jail Thursday after he allegedly violating a no-contact order, days after pleading guilty to charges alleging he threatened to shoot his girlfriend. 

St. Paul Police told KARE 11 Justin Sutherland was arrested after the woman who was the victim in his assault case called authorities. Officials say she reported Sutherland was following her near the Target and the Spirit Halloween in St. Paul Thursday afternoon. 

Two days ago, Sutherland pleaded guilty to one count of threats of violence – reckless disregard. According to the criminal complaint in that case, St. Paul Police responded to an apartment in June. There, a woman claiming to be Sutherland’s girlfriend told police he pointed a gun at her and then hit her in the chest with it, allegedly saying “don’t come back here or I am going to shoot you.”

The chef and reality television star received a 360-day suspended sentence, which he would have to serve should he violate the terms of the agreement. 

He is arrested on suspicion of gross misdemeanor violation of protection order, St. Paul Police told KARE 11. New charges will be determined by the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office.

Sutherland competed on Season 16 of “Top Chef” and won Iron Chef America. 

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence and needs help, call 800-799-7233 or text START to 88788 to be connected with someone from the National Domestic Violence Hotline. The hotline includes more options for support and identifiers of abuse on its website. 

SARTELL, Minn. — Residents of the Sartell Mobile Home Park and their attorneys filed a class-action lawsuit in Stearns County this week alleging unsanitary living conditions and negligence by current and previous owners dating back to 2014.

The complaint alleges “abusive strategies” that make the park “no longer habitable, with raw sewage spewing into residents’ houses, and health and safety violations abounding.” Furthermore, the plaintiffs accuse the owners of threatening evictions, making misleading claims about requirements to re-sign leases and overbilling for utilities. 

With assistance from Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid and the law firm Robins Kaplan LLP, four residents of the mobile-home community have joined the suit, including Marcie Knox. The retiree has lived in the Sartell Mobile Home Park for seven years. In that time, she said she had to use government stimulus money to pay for sewage cleanup and was significantly overbilled for water services.

“The lot there is beautiful. There’s deer, all kinds of wildlife, and I’m going to have to leave. The stress is too much. Can’t take it,” Knox said. “They put in water meters to monitor our utilities and stuff, which doesn’t work. I’ve had bills range from 2,000 on up to 60,000 gallons — in one month — for two people.”

Justin Perl, the litigation director at Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid, said roughly 300 people live at the mobile home park. That includes a large share of low-income and older residents, as well as some people with disabilities.

“These are salt-of-the-earth people who deserve a little respect and dignity,” Perl said. “Instead, they’re treated like pawns.”

The lawsuit names the previous owner, Impact Communities, as well as two individual business leaders from that company named David Reynolds and Frank Rolfe. Additionally, the plaintiffs allege that the current owners, Gemstone Communities, have continued many of the practices since taking over earlier this year. All of those entities and people are based out-of-state.

Neither Impact or Gemstone have responded to requests for comment. KARE 11 also left voicemails with Reynolds and Rolfe, who are considered some of the largest owners of mobile home parks in the country. Neither of those individuals has responded, either, and it’s not clear which attorneys will be representing the defendants against the claims. 

“We certainly would be willing to sit down and talk, as we always would,” Perl said. “But we’ll see what happens.”

The lawsuit demands that the current owners fix the sewage and maintenance issues, while also seeking money back for residents through monetary damages. Although only four plaintiffs are listed on the complaint, Perl said his team of attorneys will ask the court to “certify the class,” meaning the four plaintiffs could then represent all 300 people who live at Sartell Mobile Home Park.

“I just want them to stop doing this crazy stuff,” Marcie Knox said.

SAINT PAUL, Minn. — More than half a million absentee ballots have already been returned ahead of the November election, according to the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State.

As of Thursday, 565,909 absentee ballots have been accepted out of the more than 800,000 that have been sent out. That means nearly 300,000 absentee ballots still need to be returned. 

In a press release, election officials urged voters with absentee ballots to return them to their local election office as soon as possible, either by dropping them off in person or sending them by mail. Absentee ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on election day.

“More than half a million Minnesotans have already made their voices heard in this Election,” said Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon in a press release. “Election Day is just around the corner, if you haven’t already voted now is the time to make your plan to vote.”

You can request an absentee ballot by clicking here. You can also vote early in person at your local election office. Click here for more details on early voting.

Minneapolis officials have increased access to polling places for those who opt to cast their votes early. The city added several pop-up voting locations, as well as expanded hours for the main Early Voting Center in northeast Minneapolis.

If you have not registered to vote yet, you can do so at your polling place on election day. Here is what you need to register to vote. 

Have questions about the voting process? You can text 651-217-3862 and your questions will be answered by an election worker. 

The presidential election is Nov. 5.