Star Tribune
Duluth man pleads guilty to criminal sexual conduct with girls
DULUTH – With freshly selected jurors waiting nearby for the start of an expected days-long trial, a Duluth man facing criminal sexual conduct charges took a last-minute plea deal instead of facing the women he abused when they were children.
Clint Franklin Massie, 49, pleaded guilty Wednesday morning at the St. Louis County Courthouse to the four counts from incidents dating back to 2008-09 when two of his victims were young girls. The deal dismissed one of the counts against him. His sentencing is scheduled for March 20, and he could end up with more than nine years in prison. Massie, who was initially charged in February 2023 and has been out on $300,000 bail, was released until his sentencing.
In each case, the victim was known to Massie — whether they were related or through their shared membership at Old Apostolic Lutheran Church. He was friends with their parents and regarded as a fun, child-free uncle, according to reports from the investigation.
Assistant St. Louis County Attorney Michael Ryan told the court that the victims were satisfied with the deal.
“They have been involved in talking this through,” he said to Judge Dale Harris.
After Massie pleaded guilty, would-be witnesses and their supporters filed into the courtroom filling rows. Massie, dressed in a dark suit coat and khaki pants, turned to look. Ryan questioned him on the victims’ accusations — four specific scenarios where he had touched girls: during a sleepover at his house, when alone on a tractor, or beneath a blanket while others were in the room.
Massie said in court there were a lot of big gatherings and shared meals within this the group. It wasn’t unusual for one of the many children to sit on his lap.
At times Massie paused and said he couldn’t remember exact details or motives. At other times he deferred to what he told investigating officers last year. In each instance he ultimately agreed with the scenario presented by the prosecution.
Star Tribune
Stillwater Area High School student dies days after falling through ice in Woodbury
A 16-year-old Stillwater Area High School student has died, days after falling through the ice on Woodbury’s Markgrafs Lake.
The victim, identified as Yahye Ali Abdi of Woodbury by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office, fell through the ice along with a 12-year-old girl on Monday afternoon. The girl’s condition was not immediately available Friday.
First responders were called to the lake at 4:29 p.m. Monday after getting a report that someone had gone through the ice, Woodbury police said. After Abdi fell into the water, the 12-year-old went to help him and also fell in.
By the time rescuers arrived, the girl was in the water but hanging onto the ice. A dive team had to rescue Abdi, who died Thursday at M Health Fairview University of Minnesota Medical Center in Minneapolis.
Abdi was described as a “bright, kind, and thoughtful young man” in a GoFundMe page raising donations to cover funeral expenses and to build a well for a community in need. Almost $10,500 had been raised as of 3 p.m. Friday.
“It’s been a very difficult week in our community and our thoughts and prayers are with the Abdi family,” said Carissa Keister, a spokesperson for Stillwater Area Public Schools.
Star Tribune
USDA orders nationwide testing of milk for bird flu to halt the virus
The U.S. government on Friday ordered testing of the nation’s milk supply for bird flu to better monitor the spread of the virus in dairy cows.
Raw or unpasteurized milk from dairy farms and processors nationwide must be tested on request starting Dec. 16, the Agriculture Department said. Testing will begin in six states — California, Colorado, Michigan, Mississippi, Oregon and Pennsylvania.
Officials said the move is aimed at ”containing and ultimately eliminating the virus,” known as Type A H5N1, which was detected for the first time in March in U.S. dairy cows. Since then, more than 700 herds have been confirmed to be infected in 15 states.
”This will give farms and farmworkers better confidence in the safety of their animals and ability to protect themselves, and it will put us on a path to quickly controlling and stopping the virus’ spread nationwide,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a statement.
The risk to people from bird flu remains low, health officials said. Pasteurization, or heat treatment, kills the virus in milk, leaving it safe to drink.
Veterinarians, farmers, scientists and academics have been calling for nationwide milk testing for months, said Keith Poulsen, director of the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, who led the efforts.
”It’s another step in the right direction,” Poulsen said. ”They’re coming around that we need a better handle on it.”
Dairy farmers and processors across the U.S. have been reluctant to test animals or milk for the virus, fearing economic or other repercussions. Jamie Jonker, chief science officer of the National Milk Producers Federation, said the industry supports USDA efforts to eliminate the virus.
Star Tribune
‘Wicked’ singalong screenings held Mondays at Minneapolis’ Main Cinema
Hoping to sing along to the music of “Wicked” at the movie theater? The Main Cinema along Saint Anthony Main in Minneapolis is reserving Monday showtimes of the blockbuster movie for fans who want to break out in song.
Some theaters have cracked down on audiences singing since the musical movie was released in late November. When asked for her take on fans belting out the songs in cinemas, Cynthia Erivo who stars in the movie as the misunderstood protagonist Elphaba, gave it a green light.
“I’m OK with it. We spent this long singing it ourselves, it’s time for everyone to sing,” Erivo said during an appearance on “Good Morning America” last week.
Shortly after the star’s comments, The Main Cinema announced its Monday “Sing Your Heart Out” screenings in an Instagram post.
“Go ahead and let your lungs defy gravity (on Mondays only, please),” the theater wrote.
Anjali Moore, a box officer supervisor at The Main Cinema, said it was a way for the community to have fun while being respectful to those who would find the singing distracting.
“We didn’t get any complaints,” Moore said Friday. “I haven’t heard anyone come up before they did that promotion and say that they’re annoyed that people are singing,”
It’s also a way to potentially boost sales on Monday nights, typically the quietest day for the theater, she said.