Star Tribune
15 swans were shot, found on private property in Stevens County, feds say
Federal wildlife authorities have given new details in the killing of multiple swans in west-central Minnesota, including that the birds were shot and discovered near public land protected for waterfowl.
In mid-January, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) asked for the public’s help in the investigation of the birds’ deaths in Stevens County, which occurred between Dec. 16 and 17, according to the agency.
The new details are the number of birds, how they were killed, and the location of their discovery:
Fifteen dead birds were found shot on private property near the intersection of 260th Street and 520th Avenue, near the southwest corner of Lamprecht Waterfowl Production area.
The swans were a mix of trumpeters and tundras, both of which are protected by state and federal laws.
Minnesota has the highest population of trumpeter swans in the lower 48 states. A survey in the state estimated 65,000 trumpeter adults. While some head to the central U.S., trumpeter swans tend to overwinter in central and southern Minnesota where there is open water and food. Tundras are the most populous swan in North America.
Lamprecht Waterfowl Production Area (WPA) covers 250 acres and is part of Morris Wetland Management District, managed by the FWS. The district has about 250 WPAs over eight counties.
The federal land is protected wetland and grassland habitat for waterfowl and other wildlife. Nearly all of the WPAs in the nation are located in the prairie pothole region that includes Minnesota, Iowa, Montana, and North and South Dakota.
The investigation into the swans’ killings continues. Anyone with information should contact FWS agent Andrew Daiber at andrew_daiber@fws.gov.
Transforming the heart of both downtowns, which have much larger buildings than old warehouses, is going to take a lot more money, creativity and time. Josh Talberg, managing director at downtown Minneapolis brokerage JLL, said with no major apartment buildings on the drawing board in either downtown, the fleet of empty office buildings present a golden opportunity to create more housing and lead both cities in a new direction.
“You can can certainly see the fundamentals improving, and you can feel that vibrancy, and that’s ultimately the foundation that’s needed to get investors to reinvest in the city,” he said. “But it’s not as if these 18-wheelers can turn on a dime.”
The Minnesota Department of Transportation closed part of a state highway Wednesday evening near Austin because of a “major hazardous materials release” in the area.
Hwy. 56 from Hayfield to Waltham, a stretch covering about five miles, was closed in both directions and drivers were directed to follow a detour to Blooming Prairie on U.S. Hwy. 218.
No information on the hazardous materials released was immediately available.
A federal judge dismissed a civil lawsuit against Minnesota state trooper Ryan Londregan in the shooting death of Ricky Cobb II during a 2023 traffic stop.
The decision is the latest development in a case that has drawn heated debate over excessive use of force by law enforcement. Criminal charges against Londregan were dismissed by Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty in June, saying the prosecution didn’t have the evidence to proceed with a case.
On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Nancy E. Brasel granted Londregan’s motion to dismiss the civil suit, arguing he acted reasonably when he opened fire as Cobb’s vehicle lurched forward with another state trooper partly inside.
Londregan’s attorney Chris Madelsaid Wednesday that it’s been a “long, grueling journey to justice. Ryan Londregan has finally arrived.”
On July 31, 2023, the two troopers pulled over Cobb, 33, on Interstate 94 in north Minneapolis for driving without taillights and later learned he was wanted for violating a felony domestic no-contact order. Cobb refused commands to exit the car.
With Seide partly inside the car while trying to unbuckle Cobb’s seatbelt, the car moved forward. Londregan then opened fire, hitting Cobb twice.
In her decision, Brasel said the troopers were mandated by state law to make an arrest given Cobb’s domestic no-contact order violation. She said it was objectively reasonable for Londregan to believe Seide was in immediate danger as the car moved forward on a busy highway, which would make his use of force reasonable.
