Star Tribune
For a second time, Orono found in contempt of court over Long Lake firefighter recruitment
For a second time, a judge has found the city of Orono in contempt of court for recruiting firefighters from neighboring Long Lake to form its own fire department.
The contempt order, issued March 25 by Hennepin County District Judge Laurie Miller as part of an ongoing lawsuit between the two cities, says Orono violated a temporary injunction to prevent the city from targeting Long Lake Fire Department members for recruitment. Orono officials are moving to form the city’s own fire department and sever ties with the Long Lake department, which has been serving both cities.
Long Lake sued Orono last summer, arguing Orono’s work to create a fire department was hampering its own fire department. Miller issued a contempt order against Orono in November, ruling that the city had violated an order for temporary injunctive relief multiple times.
According to the most recent contempt order, Miller wrote that Orono “willfully disobeyed” the injunction by waiving the standard physical and psychological exam requirements for a class of applicants that included only Long Lake Fire Department members. She said the waivers were a “recruitment tool aimed directly at LLFD firefighters, as they are the only firefighters currently serving the city of Orono.”
The judge ordered Orono to stop providing waivers to Long Lake firefighters and to pay Long Lake $1,000 for each of the two hires made under its waiver policy. Miller agreed with Long Lake’s claim that its fire department was hindered by Orono hiring a significant percentage of its paid on-call firefighters.
Attorney Paul Reuvers, who is representing Orono, said in an email that “we are obviously disappointed with the court’s order and respectfully disagree with it.” Orono Mayor Dennis Walsh called Miller’s order “judicial activism at its core” and said it conflicted with state law in multiple ways.
Long Lake city officials did not return a call seeking comment.
Staff writer Josie Albertson-Grove contributed to this report.
Star Tribune
One man shot dead, another wounded near Willmar soon after gunman opened fire from Lyndale Av. balcony
Bystanders observing the scene in Minneapolis recalled hearing the female police negotiator pleading with Matariyeh to surrender. When shots rang out over the phone, the negotiator dropped to her knees and cried. Colleagues could be seen comforting her.
O’Hara said the shots in Minneapolis were fired shortly after an altercation involving Matariyeh’s ex-girlfriend and her current boyfriend, who arrived to the apartment to retrieve some items. Matariyeh and the woman share a child, who was at day care at the time. Police went there to ensure the child’s safety shortly after the suspect fled. The ex-girlfriend and the boyfriend were also not harmed.
The chief said that when police initially responded, it was unclear whether the suspect was still inside the apartment. There is no indication of a domestic violence history between the pair.
At one point after Mayerchak was shot, an officer or dispatcher radioed that the suspect was the man from Minneapolis: “He did say he was willing to shoot cops. Proceed cautiously.”
A short time later, the suspect was leading police on a chase of speeds of more than 100 mph while on the phone with the Minneapolis negotiator, threatening “suicide by cop.”
At about 2:29 p.m., Matariyeh was arrested, and a gun was recovered in the ditch.
He said he would continue to support economic development projects, including one aimed at stabilizing the riverfront and preserving cultural sites that were significant to both the Dakota people and European settlers.
“We want to have good things,” Whiting said. “I’m pretty fiscally conservative for being called the liberal that I am. But, if it makes sense, we’re going to do it.”
Yttreness, who has lived in Shakopee since 1998, spent years with the Fire Department, serving first as a volunteer. He worked most recently as assistant fire chief, a role he left earlier this year.
Yttreness declined to speak in detail about his management of the department, saying, “I’m no longer with them, so that’s the past.”
He said he is running to “get involved in trying to manage the city’s expenses more” and “give some guidance and support to our city employees, public works, police.” He said he believes his knowledge of city operations could be helpful and he wants to “try to do zero tax increases, if possible.”
Authorities identified a 35-year-old St. Paul woman found shot to death last week in a North End apartment.
The St. Paul Police Department said Damara Alexis Stowers was the woman found shot in her apartment on Oct. 19.
Police found Stowers at around 9 p.m. in the dwelling in the 100 block of Sycamore Street East after reports of a shooting. Officers rendered aid until Saint Paul fire medics arrived and pronounced her dead at the scene.
Investigators believe a carjacking reported that same night is connected to Stowers death, but no arrests have been announced. The victim in that carjacking was shot, but Regions Hospital staff treated them for noncritical injuries.
Stowers’ death marked the fourth homicide in the capital city in 10 days, and the 25th homicide this year according to a Star Tribune database. There were 28 homicides by this time last year.
