Kare11
Wolgamott just the latest Minn. lawmaker with DWI charge
St. Cloud Democrat Dan Wolgamott is the latest of many Minnesota lawmakers cited for impaired driving in recent history.
MINNEAPOLIS — When Rep. Dan Wolgamott was booked into jail on suspicion of DWI last Friday in Kanabec County, he joined a long list of lawmakers from both sides of the aisle who’ve been cited for impaired driving.
At least four current Minnesota state legislators have been cited for DWI offenses in just the past three years. Republican Rep. Matt Grossell of Clearwater, Democrat Tou Xiong of Maplewood, and GOP Sen. John Jasinski of Faribault round out that roster.
Those who work to prevent drunk driving assert that public officials, especially those who write the laws, should be held to a higher standard in the court of public opinion.
“How can they continue to make these stupid choices? Because these are choices! They’re the ones making the rules! They know! They’re writing the book!” Jon Cummings, who heads Minnesotans for Safe Driving, told KARE Tuesday.
Cummings, who lost his son to a drunk driver, has been working for the past 20 years to create tougher laws and more prevention of driving while intoxicated.
“These lawmakers get some bad publicity, but nothing really happens to them. They don’t lose their jobs. They don’t do time. Maybe they pay a fine.”
Rep. Wolgamott, a third-term Democrat from St. Cloud, was pulled over by a Minnesota Highway State Patrol Trooper on July 7. The trooper said he’d gone out looking for Wolgamott’s vehicle after someone called police, saying they saw a man drinking in the parking lot of a liquor store.
As of Tuesday night, there were no formal charges yet, but the case drew widespread attention. That’s due in part to Wolgamott taking on a higher profile role in the House this year, acting as the speaker pro tempore subbing for House Speaker Melissa Hortman during House proceedings.
“The demographics of the impaired driver match exactly the demographics of our society, and anybody who uses alcohol or uses any other substance,” Paul Aasen of the Minnesota Safety Council, told KARE.
“Every single restaurant you go into these days has got alcohol available, and it doesn’t matter if it’s in the middle of Crookston or in downtown Minneapolis. And it cuts across all age groups.”
He said it’s important for persons in the public eye to apologize for impaired driving and share their stories.
“If you’re a law enforcement official you’ve got an extraordinary level of responsibility and talking about your experience, if you happen to be somebody who was driving impaired, would be very impactful. Same goes for lawmakers; same goes for corporate leaders, social leaders.”
Rep. Grossell, a former sheriff’s deputy, recently pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor DWI, which was connected to a February 11 traffic stop. It came four years after Grossell was arrested by Saint Paul police for disorderly conduct and trespassing after an episode when police were called to a hotel near the Capitol on the report of an intoxicated individual.
Sen. Xiong was still a member of the House when he was cited for a DWI in January of 2022. He was elected to the Senate the next year.
Sen. Jasinski was cited in Faribault in October of 2020, and later talked about it while arguing against the bill that legalized recreational marijuana in the state.
“I got pulled over a couple years back for an alcohol-related offense. I tested .09, so folks, I was one beer over, one beer too many. And folks I’ve always been very careful about it.”
One of the most widely reported legislative DWI’s involved the late Sen. Jim Metzen, who was pulled over on his way home to South St. Paul on the final night of the 2007 session.
He admitted he’d had something to drink at a post-session party at the Kelly Inn near the Capitol. He apologized on camera after he entered a guilty plea in Dakota County District Court.
“I’m very sorry for what happened, not so much for myself, but for my friends and family,” Metzen told KARE at the time.
“And we probably learned a lot from this experience. I think it will probably make me a better person.”
Metzen died in 2016 after a long battle with lung cancer.
“Although it was chaotic, there was some of that chaos that might sway some people to another side,” Jake Slack, a senior at the University of St. Thomas, said.
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.
Synchronize your watches! The award-winning best new musical sets its destination to the Orpheum.
MINNEAPOLIS — You don’t need to build a flux capacitator to travel back in time and relive an ’80s phenomenon.
“Back to the Future the Musical,” which won the 2022 Olivier Award for Best New Musical, is coming to the historic Orpheum Theatre in downtown Minneapolis at the beginning of fall.
The London’s West End and Broadway show is based on the 1985 blockbuster film that spawned two sequels: “Back to the Future Part II” in 1989 and “Back to the Future Part III” in 1990. All three films combined grossed nearly a billion dollars.
The award-winning musical stars Caden Brauch as Marty McFly, Don Stephenson as Doc Brown and Ethan Rogers as Biff Tannen.
“Back to the Future the Musical” officially premiered at the Manchester Opera House on March 11, 2020. It then had a huge run at London’s West End beginning in 2021 and hit Broadway in August of 2023.
The musical is directed by Tony Award-winner John Rando with original music by multi-Grammy-winners Alan Silvestri (“Avengers: Endgame”) and Glen Ballard (Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror”), alongside songs from the movie including “The Power of Love,” “Johnny B. Goode” and “Back in Time.”
“Back to the Future the Musical” will play at the Orpheum from Tuesday, Sept. 10 to Sunday, Sept. 22.
Tickets, which start at $50, will go on sale at HennepinTheatreTrust.org on Friday, June 14, 2024, at 10 a.m.
The production contains flashing lights, strobe effects, pyrotechnics and is recommended for ages 6 and up.
Its run time is 2 hours and 35 minutes and includes one intermission.
Watch the latest local news from the Twin Cities and across Minnesota 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.
Marina Dougall, 36, was last seen in Minneapolis in September of last year but wasn’t reported missing until May 2024.
ANOKA COUNTY, Minn. — The Anoka County Sheriff’s Office is asking the public to help find a missing Anoka County woman who they believe is without critical medication.
Marina Dougall, 36, was last seen in Minneapolis in September of last year but wasn’t reported missing until May 2024. Police said her family hasn’t heard from her since she was last seen.
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension released a statement Wednesday, saying Dougall was known to frequent the Franklin Avenue North area of Minneapolis as well as places throughout Anoka County and across the Twin Cities metro. Investigators said she may have been in the area of Burnett County, Wisconsin last September, before being dropped off at the Norwoood Inn in Roseville.
MISSING: Investigators believe Marina Dougall may have been in the in the Burnett County, Wisconsin, area Sept. 20-22, 2023, and then dropped off at the Norwood Inn in Roseville. Anyone with information on Marina Dougall’s whereabouts is urged to call 911. pic.twitter.com/HhfAeFGiJZ
— Minnesota BCA (@MnDPS_BCA) September 11, 2024
The BCA said Dougall has a medical condition that requires medication, and that she also has a history of mental health and substance abuse issues.
Dougall is described as 5’9 and 140 pounds, with brown hair and green eyes. She also has a chipped front tooth, flower tattoos on her right hand and left shoulder, a snowflake tattoo on her right abdomen and a large tattoo on her back.
The BCA added Dougall was born in Russia and speaks with a slight accent.
If you’ve seen Dougall or know any information about her whereabouts, you’re urged to call 911 or contact the Anoka County Sheriff’s Office at 763-324-5209.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine pushes back on fake migrant story amplified by Trump: “The internet can be quite crazy”
Minneapolis College of Art and Design President Sanjit Sethi to depart after six years
Campbell Soup Company planning to drop “soup” from its name
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine pushes back on fake migrant story amplified by Trump: “The internet can be quite crazy”
Minneapolis College of Art and Design President Sanjit Sethi to depart after six years
GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings