Star Tribune
Itasca County paints over jail’s Ten Commandments
DULUTH – The Ten Commandments display painted inside the Itasca County jail is no more, painted over with two coats.
The list of religious texts stood two stories high inside the jail’s gym until earlier this month, part of a recently completed $75 million justice complex in Grand Rapids. Other inspirational and religious quotes painted inside the jail were also covered, said Brett Skyles, Itasca County administrator.
“Ultimately, it just had to do with defending the situation and how many public dollars might be at risk there,” he said, noting Sheriff Joe Dasovich made the decision to repaint. Dasovich was unavailable for comment Monday.
The oversized display was discovered during tours of the new northeast Minnesota facility. The Madison, Wis.-based Freedom From Religion Foundation had received 20 complaints by the end of April, many contending the displays were unconstitutional. It sent a letter to the county asking it to investigate and remove the religious writings.
Last week, residents packed a tense County Board meeting, many criticizing the commissioners for leaving the decision to the sheriff. One man called them cowards for playing to a “very small minority” and another compared the commandments to laws, saying the county may as well do away with speed limits if it’s going to remove the commandments.
Grand Rapids resident Deborah Salisbury pleaded with the board to keep the walls as they were, saying inmates would benefit from exposure to the religious guidance.
“Some don’t even know the name of Jesus until they come in here,” she said.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation argued that the religious displays violated the establishment clause of the First Amendment, which says government must remain neutral about religion. One quote painted on cell block walls and attributed to former President Ronald Reagan reads, “Within the covers of the Bible are the answers for all the problems men face.”
The foundation said Monday it was pleased that “the Constitution prevailed over the desire of some county officials to create a coercive religious environment.”
“These displays imposed religious views on a literal captive audience,” said its co-president, Annie Laurie Gaylor, in a statement. “Even those who are incarcerated have the right to be free from religion.”
Jail administrator Lucas Thompson made the decision to install the quotes and commandments. The County Board initially determined the size of the project, Skyles said, but it didn’t “pick the color of the carpet or where TVs go or anything in the jail.”
He didn’t have figures readily available for the cost of either paint project.
County commissioners told constituents last week they’d received hundreds of emails, calls and texts about the religious writings, more in favor than against. Several commissioners pointed to their own Christianity and explained they’d prefer to leave the walls untouched.
“I will go down swinging on this one but it has to follow proper channels,” Commissioner Casey Venema said.
Dasovich, elected in 2023, said previously that because voluntary faith-based programs offered at the jail are well-attended, he didn’t foresee opposition from inmates.
Itasca County resident Karen Ferlaak complained to the County Board about the religious nature of the artwork and of the expense.
“I don’t mind sayings on the walls if they’re accurate and they’re not religious-based,” she said, noting some of the quotes were attributed incorrectly. “We’re upset over the cost of having to repaint and the cost for putting it up [in the first place]. We just need to stay in our own lane. It wasn’t well thought out.”
The state Corrections Department ordered the former Itasca County jail replaced because of deterioration. Instead of a 10% increase to property taxes, county residents approved a 1% sales tax in 2022.
Star Tribune
One alleged “Nudieland” shooter to testify against “major perpetrator” of mass shooting in plea deal
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said the defendant provided evidence for an “ironclad” case against the main perpetrator, Dominic James Burris.
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Star Tribune
Minnesota schools for deaf and blind lacked financial oversight
Both MSA schools have foundations to support their missions, though the report found that MSA “did not obtain required financial reports from its affiliated foundations, including their annual financial statements or their annual reports about fundraising activities.”
The Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf Foundation was inactive between 2020 and 2023 because the foundation board members had moved out-of-state, according to the report. And the Minnesota State Academy for the Blind Foundation did not file as a nonprofit corporation with the Office of the Secretary of State until the auditor’s office inquired about a filing status in May.
In his letter, Wilding said that, by next month, a school administrator for each school will be assigned to act as a liaison between each school and its foundation. But, he added, “The [Minnesota State Academy for the Blind Foundation] is considering its future and may not continue their operations. If this is the case, we will obtain financial documentation of their fund disbursements for record keeping.”
Over the last several months, Wilding wrote, MSA has updated or implemented new procedures to address several concerns, including how payroll and deposits are monitored and how both petty cash expenses and travel expenditures are approved.
A quarterly review of donation acceptance forms will begin in 2025, he said. MSA’s fiscal services director will also work with the state Department of Education “on the process for returning overreported expenditures” — a process Wilding wrote should be completed by January 2025.
Star Tribune
Sentence topping 8 years for man whose ricochet gunshot struck Minneapolis girl, 11, in face
A 45-year-old man received a prison term Tuesday topping eight years for squeezing off automatic gunfire moments into New Year’s Day in Minneapolis that ricocheted and struck a girl in the face while she was looking out her second-story bedroom window.
James William Turner, of Fridley, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of ammunition in connection with the shooting of Laneria Wilson, 11, on Jan. 1 near 23rd and Bryant avenues N.
With federal sentencing guidelines recommending a sentence of anywhere from 8⅓ to nearly 10½ years in prison, Judge Ann Montgomery opted for the lowest point in that range and added three years of court supervision after his release.
Ahead of sentencing, prosecutors pointed out to Montgomery that “instead of celebrating New Year’s with her friends or family, [Laneria] spent the evening having bullet fragments removed from her face. The victim could easily have been killed. Moreover, the bullet that struck the 11-year-old appears to be one of 24 shots Turner fired that night — 24 bullets that could have injured or killed innocent people.”
Prosecutors also noted that Turner’s criminal history spans his entire adult life and includes convictions for second-degree assault in Anoka County and domestic assault in Ramsey County. Those convictions barred him from possessing guns or ammunition.
Defense attorney F. Clayton Tyler asked that Turner receive a five-year term, arguing that he has abstained from illicit drugs and alcohol since his arrest and has completed mental health therapy.
Also, Tyler added, while Turner admitted to firing the automatic rifle, “he did not do so maliciously or with intent to hurt or frighten anyone. On the contrary, he considered himself close friends with the child’s mother and had previously babysat the child.”
Laneria’s mother, Shenedra Ross, told the Star Tribune in May that since the shooting, she moved her family about two hours west of Minneapolis, where they had lived previously. In the days after being shot, just shy of her 12th birthday, Ross said, Laneria had difficulty coping and was afraid to be near windows.