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MN Labor Department reveals construction company wage theft

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The state is seeking $2.4 million in back wages and liquidated damages for 25 employees who worked for the companies on projects, including Viking Lakes in Eagan.

ST PAUL, Minn. — Editor’s note: The video above first aired on KARE 11 in May 2022.

An investigation into a pair of Minnesota subcontractors that began in 2019 revealed widespread illegal activity including wage theft, according to the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI).

The DLI released a statement Tuesday, saying the state will now seek compensation for workers who allege mistreatment by Property Maintenance & Construction LLC (PMC) and Advantage Construction Inc. The state is now seeking $1.2 million in back wages and $1.2 million in liquidated damages for 25 employees who worked for both companies on 19 different construction projects – including the Viking Lakes development in Eagan.

In its statement, DLI said officials took a closer look at the companies’ business dealings after a group of workers claimed they had not been paid the wages they’d been due, including overtime, and that many employees were “paid off the books in cash.”

“Wage theft hurts workers and their families, and hurts responsible employers that abide by the law,” said DLI Commissioner Nicole Blissenbach. “It is unacceptable for employers to cheat employees out of the full wages they work so hard to earn. Likewise, it is unfair for contractors to have an edge when bidding against law-abiding companies by stealing wages from workers.”

In addition to the department’s alleged wage theft findings, DLI also claims the “violations were willful,” and accuses the owner of PMC of “discouraging workers from reporting violations of the law” and being part of the DLI’s investigation.

As a result, PMC was ordered to pay $25,000 in civil penalties.

KARE 11 is in the process of reaching out to the companies involved in the investigation and will share their responses when they become available. 

According to DLI, the state of Minnesota has some of the most stringent wage theft laws in the country, which if violated, could result in criminal penalties.

For more information about your labor rights in Minnesota, visit the department’s website.

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Red Cow offers Thanksgiving meal kits

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Love a yummy meal, but hate having to cook it? This is an option for you.

MINNEAPOLIS — If you love a good Thanksgiving meal but don’t have the time to make it, consider Red Cow for your event this season. 

The kit includes roasted turkey breast, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, gravy, whipped sweet potatoes, cornbread stuffing, mac & cheese, assorted artisan rolls, and pumpkin pie. The meal costs $285 and feeds 6-8 people. 

You can pick up your feast at Red Cow in Uptown on 2626 Hennepin Ave. Place your order at this link by noon on Nov. 25. 

Is your mouth watering yet? If you’d like, you can add on glazed ham, dark turkey meat, cranberries, brussels sprouts, wild rice stuffing, roasted salmon, apple and honey chevre salad, and charcuterie boards. Corporate chef Adam Lerner visited KARE 11 News at Noon to dish on a few of the holiday eats. 



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How are Minnesota teachers addressing kids’ bad behavior?

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PEW Research Center found 68% of teachers said they’ve experienced verbal abuse from a student such as being yelled at or threatened.

ST PAUL, Minn — Bad behavior in classrooms is a nationwide problem that has only worsened since the pandemic. 

A recent National Education Association (NEA) survey found teachers cited “disruptive and violent behavior” in the classroom last year as one of their top concerns. A PEW Research Center report found about 68% of teachers said they’ve experienced verbal abuse from a student such as being yelled at or threatened. 

About 21% said this happens a few times a month. 

Teachers also report students show disrespect by getting up in the middle of class or skipping class altogether. So the question many people have is why are we seeing this uptick in bad behavior? And how can behavior improve?

To learn more, KARE 11 morning anchor Alicia Lewis spoke with Angel Thomas from St. Paul Public Schools (SPPS). Thomas, a teacher by trade, is now a supervisor with the Office of School Support. 

She talks with teachers about their day-to-day with students at SPPS and says there is a lot more pressure on both students and educators post-pandemic with mental wellness at an all time high.

“You have a class of 25 to 35 little people, right? They all have different lived experiences,” Thomas said. “We don’t know what they’re going through at any given moment, right? Some kids are wondering where their next meal is gonna come from. Some kids are wondering where they’re gonna sleep at night. Some kids may have experienced a traumatic event just the night before and they’re at school. It’s the same for adults or teachers, right?”

SPPS is one of 37 districts in the state that utilize the Minnesota Department of Education’s “Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports systems” also known as PBIS. It’s a multi-tiered program that trains educators on preventing problem behavior, teaching and reinforcing positive behaviors, and providing intensive interventions for students with more significant needs. 

Thomas said PBIS is working.

“I always say the framework is simple for a lack of a better word. It’s not. But there are core components. What do we want students to do? How do we recognize them when they do it? How do we respond when they don’t? And then how are we using data to make decisions?” Thomas said. 

“We know that recognizing positive behaviors is one of the best ways to actually change or to continue that behavior and to decrease the unexpected behaviors.”

Thomas added when students have a voice and feel a sense of community, they are more likely to exhibit good behaviors in the classroom. But what works for one student, in terms of dealing with behavior, might not work for another. 



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Police investigate body found at south Indianapolis gym

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Family told 13News that 39-year-old Derek Sink visited a tanning bed on Friday and was found dead there this Monday morning.

INDIANAPOLIS — Police are conducting death investigation at a south Indianapolis gym after a man was found dead in a tanning bed Monday morning.

A sign on the door of the Planet Fitness on Hardegan Street Monday afternoon said “tanning is currently unavailable.”

Family confirmed to 13News that 39-year-old Derek Sink went into a tanning bed on Friday and was found dead there Monday morning. They said Sink struggled with drugs and a needle was found in the room with him.

The cause of Sink’s death has not yet been determined.

Sink’s aunt said they reported him missing on Friday. She said he was wearing an ankle monitor that helped investigators determine he never left the gym.

A woman who was at Planet Fitness that morning, before law enforcement showed up, said she and other members noticed a foul smell in the building that got worse near the tanning rooms. Now she said she’s wondering how something like this could happen.

“The tanning bed has a door, I believe, but still, why are we not concerned that the tanning bed has been closed for three days, potentially?” said Elizabeth Len.


Sink’s family called him a loving person. They said they hope to see stricter policies on cleaning and an end-of-day checklist for staff to prevent this from happening again.

13News reached out to IMPD and Planet Fitness. Police could only confirm they were investigating a death at that location and did not elaborate on the circumstances.

A spokesperson for Planet Fitness said they’re looking into what happened with the local franchise owner.



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