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Duluth man pleads guilty to criminal sexual conduct with girls

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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.



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Bloomington city manager tapped as next CEO of Catholic Charities Twin Cities

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Bloomington City Manager Jamie Verbrugge has been hired as Catholic Charities Twin Cities’ next president and CEO.

Verbrugge has spent more than 20 years in public administration in the Twin Cities, having held positions in Brooklyn Park and Rosemount before arriving in Bloomington in 2015. City officials there credit him for helping make advances in affordable housing and sustainability, and diversifying the city’s workforce.

“His deep personal connection to Catholic Charities paired with his proven professional track record, commitment to public service, and strong leadership skills made him an ideal candidate,” Desirae Butler, chair of nonprofit’s board of directors, said in a statement.

Verbrugge will succeed Michael Goar, who was appointed president and CEO of Sisters of Charity Health System earlier this year.

Catholic Charities Twin Cities operates six adult emergency shelters for the homeless, nine affordable housing facilities and various services for children, families and disabled persons, according to its website. It assists more than 33,000 people.

“I am honored to join Catholic Charities as its new president and CEO,” Verbrugge said in a statement. “It is an incredibly meaningful opportunity to lead an organization with such a strong foundation.”



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Minneapolis Mayor Frey lowers proposed tax hike as council digs into budget

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Mayor Jacob Frey proposed to cut his recommended 2025 budget’s property tax levy increase on Friday as the city council dug into his plan and days after a Council Member Emily Koski announced a run for mayor and proposed a nearly identical change.

The Minneapolis City Council on Friday began debating revisions to Frey’s budget in what promises to be a series of marathon “markup” meetings before the council votes on a final budget Tuesday night. Council members proposed a whopping 73 amendments to Frey’s budget, and began going through them on Friday. The meeting was contentious from the start, with Council Member Linea Palmisano accusing her colleagues of locking her out of talks.

“We are equal members of this body and we need to start acting like it,” she said.

Frey said the council amendments add “wants” while cutting needs; divert city funds to private organizations; and irresponsibly deplete the city’s cash reserves. He said the council’s amendments cut core services in order to increase spending to nonprofits, “pet projects” in wards and “unvetted, one-time programs.”

Frey said if the council disposed of amendments like that, he’d support reducing his proposed hike by using over $780,000 in unspent federal pandemic funds; cutting $2.3 million from 20 departments; and cutting $5.7 million from a technology improvement plan. The council declined, however, to go along with Koski’s proposed levy decrease, but approved other cuts that bring the levy increase down to 6.9%.

Some council members were offended by Frey’s characterization of ward projects as “pet projects.” Council Member Katie Cashman suggested the mayor was trying to “one-up” the council’s budget cuts.

Much was made of the fact that Frey put out a news release and letter Friday laying out his proposal to reduce the levy increase. Council Member Jason Chavez accused the mayor of “legislating through press releases” instead of talking to council members.



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I’m optimistic about Minnesota working together in 2025

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We have “forever chemicals” in our drinking water and chloride in our lakes and rivers, and we’re breathing plastic. Nationwide, at least 45% of tap water contains per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances, or PFAS, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. One of these is called perchlorate, a chemical that boosts explosive power in things like airbags, fireworks and grenades, but when ingested, prevents us from absorbing iodide. That’s not a big deal for adults, but it can cause deafness or severe intellectual disability in fetuses and babies. The federal government has been dragging its feet on whether to regulate perchlorate for more than 20 years.

When politicians talk angrily about “regulations,” often they’re talking about health and environmental regulations, which can be costly, and which someone has to pay for.

Meanwhile, there’s a looming shortage of nursing home beds in Minnesota. In 2024, the oldest baby boomers turned 75, which means the demand for long-term care will skyrocket over the next 20 to 30 years, according to the Mankato-based Center for Rural Policy and Development. Nursing homes have already been closing across the state given staff shortages and as retirees prefer assisted living and other options. The need will be felt first in rural Minnesota, where the population is older, but it will hit the metro also.

Our charter schools need an overhaul, no matter if they’re in rural or urban areas. Nine of the state’s 181 schools operating at the start of 2024 have closed, and Star Tribune reporting has uncovered troubling financial and academic failures. The secrecy surrounding many of these publicly-funded schools is anti-democratic, and the Minnesota Department of Education needs to insist on full disclosure of records.

We don’t have enough workers, only 51 for every 100 open jobs, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. If the new Trump administration carries out mass deportations as intended, that will likely stretch our workforce even more. Whether or not you agree with this policy, we need to be ready for it if it happens. Young people often take their first job because they are noticeable; they see a help wanted sign or they follow a friend or family member into a field. Maybe we need to make jobs in critical industries more noticeable and training more readily available.

Internet safety for children is a huge area that rural and urban, DFL and GOP can agree on. It can’t be emphasized enough that criminals are constantly looking for victims online, and children simply lack the judgment and awareness to know when they are being targeted. Even adults fall prey to online scams, so we can hardly expect children to emerge unscathed.



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