Star Tribune
DFL Rep. Brion Curran sentenced after pleading guilty to drunk driving
State Rep. Brion Curran received a jail sentence last week after pleading guilty to drunken driving in October.
The Vadnais Heights DFLer was sentenced to two days in jail and an additional 88 days of stayed jail time with conditions, and was ordered to pay $485 in fines. Under the terms of her plea deal, the jail time is stayed for two years of supervised probation.
Curran, 38, pleaded guilty last fall to fourth-degree driving while impaired.
“I accept responsibility for driving under the influence of alcohol,” she said in a statement. “I regret my decisions and I am sincerely grateful that no one was hurt.”
Curran was arrested in the early morning of Oct. 9 after she was reported driving “all over the road and speeding” while heading north on Interstate 35 near Harris, according to the criminal complaint. A Chisago County deputy reported finding her driving slowly in the shoulder lane with a flat tire.
She told officers she had three drinks, according to the complaint, and allegedly showed signs of impairment during a sobriety test. She was arrested and later found to have a 0.16% blood alcohol content, which is double the legal limit.
“I want to thank the Chisago County Sheriff’s Office for ensuring my safety and the safety of others,” Curran said in her statement. “I know that trust is earned and, once broken, is difficult to repair.
“Since October, in recognition of the seriousness of my actions, I have been attending courses and training related to the dangers of drunk driving. I’m sorry for the decisions I made, and by pleading guilty, I accept full responsibility.”
Curran represents District 36B, including White Bear Lake, Gem Lake and Birchwood Village. The state website lists Curran’s career as social services, and her campaign website says she’s a former police officer who once was a deputy for the Chisago County Sheriff’s Office — the same agency that arrested her.
Curran “ended her career in public safety voluntarily in May 2018 after enduring Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as a licensed police officer,” according to her campaign website.
Other Minnesota legislators have pleaded guilty to DWI in the last year. State Rep. Dan Wolgamott, DFL-St. Cloud, pleaded guilty in Kanabec County to drunken driving after he was pulled over July 7 by a state trooper just outside Mora. His plea agreement called for a 45-day jail sentence to be set aside for two years and a $400 fine.
State Rep. Matt Grossell, R-Clearbrook, was arrested last February for speeding a few miles from his home, when his blood alcohol was measured at 0.15%. He pleaded guilty to drunken driving in July in exchange for a 90-day suspended jail sentence and two years’ unsupervised probation.
Staff writer Rochelle Olson contributed to this story.
An unusual land deal that would have created a new public park in Scandia has instead collapsed after county officials said it’s not a good fit.
The late Joyce Heinisch left a gift of 300 acres for the creation of a new county park, but the bequest from the estate of the Joyce Heinisch Revocable Trust asked that the donation, if accepted, not be finalized until Heinisch’s daughter and granddaughter live out their lives first.
They live adjacent to the property. The terms meant that any park opening could be decades from now, part of why the County Board made the decision to walk away from the deal at its Nov. 19 meeting.
“In the end it didn’t fit for us,” said Sharon Price, senior right of way specialist for Washington County.
The land, located along the border of Washington and Chisago Counties and County Highway 3, is already protected under a conservation easement from the Minnesota Land Trust. The easement limits the use of the parcel to passive recreation. It prohibits any development include park bathrooms, pavilions, playgrounds or paved parking.
The possible liabilities of caring for the land or cleaning up trash that might get dumped there was also a concern, Price said.
The combination of the existing easement, the limitations on what the county could do with the land, and the liabilities that the deal would place on Washington County were unworkable, Price said.
Heinsich, a school nurse and farmer who managed 280-head herd of beef cows, died in 2023. Her husband, Roger, preceded her in death. They put the easement on the property in 2011, said Andrew Moe, the Minnesota Land Trust’s director of conservation stewardship.
The singer picked up Graham Cracker to foster during her tour. He’s Pink’s puppy now.
Read the original article
The Republican who ran for a House seat representing Roseville and Shoreview is contesting his election loss by challenging the residency of the Democrat who defeated him Nov. 5.
Republican Paul Wikstrom filed the challenge in Ramsey County District Court Wednesday alleging that Democrat Curtis R. Johnson doesn’t live in District 40B. Johnson easily defeated Wikstrom to win the seat, receiving 65% of the vote.
Wikstrom is asking the court to “invalidate and revoke any certificate of election issued to Johnson.”
The challenge, if successful, could have implications for control of the House during the coming legislative session. The 134-member chamber is currently split between 67 Democrats and 67 Republicans for the first time since 1979.
Johnson, a Roseville Area Schools board member, faced questions about his residency during the campaign. He owns a home outside the district in Little Canada and began renting an apartment on Rice Street last spring to establish residency so he could run for the 40B House seat.
In October, Johnson said in a statement that he was renting the Rice Street apartment while looking for a “forever home” in the district. His wife and their oldest child continued to live in their Little Canada house so they were not unnecessarily uprooted, he said.
Johnson did not respond to a voicemail on Friday seeking comment. In a statement, a DFL spokesperson said Johnson lives in the district and expects the case to be dismissed.
