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
Rochester’s DMC invests $700,000 in historic properties
ROCHESTER – Property owners downtown have started cashing in on a commitment from Destination Medical Center to support the restoration of some of the city’s oldest structures.
On Thursday, the DMC board agreed to invest $700,000 to support three proposals from downtown property owners, ranging from new roofs to bathroom upgrades. The funds, which can cover up to 50% of the total project cost, are part of a $5 million pool of money set aside by the board in May for projects within the city’s newly created historic district.
“Honoring our city’s history while fostering new opportunities is key to Rochester’s continued growth and vibrancy,” said Rochester Mayor Kim Norton, who serves as vice chair of the DMC board. “These projects are investments in our community’s past and future, and we are excited to see them come to life.”
For years, historic preservation advocates have worried that the constant redevelopment of the city’s downtown would make its way to the oldest city blocks still standing. Those concerns grew louder in 2013 after the Legislature approved DMC, a $5.6 billion initiative between the state, local government and Mayo Clinic to remake the city’s downtown.
But efforts to create a downtown historic district stalled for more than a decade as property owners raised concerns about funding for new rules governing what they can do with their properties.
That changed in January when the Rochester City Council voted to designate more than three blocks of downtown as part of a historic district. The area — along 1st Avenue SW. and South Broadway — includes 31 properties, 27 of which meet the criteria for the district. Many of the buildings are home to restaurants, shops and other small businesses.
“Part of the thing that is so special about Rochester is that you can have the best medical institution in the world next to really wonderful small businesses, next to walkable residential neighborhoods,” said DMC Board Member R.T. Rybak, the former mayor of Minneapolis.
Among the proposals approved by the DMC board Thursday is a $202,000 public investment in a second-story housing unit to be built above Marrow restaurant on South Broadway. Bucky Beeman, the property’s owner, said he had been thinking about the project since he bought the building in 2020, but financing was a challenge. With DMC funding available, Beeman said he was able to accelerate his investment in the 165-year-old building.
Star Tribune
Were officers in Minnesota’s scandal-ridden Metro Gang Strike Task Force ever punished?
A scandal-ridden Twin Cities law enforcement unit called the Metro Gang Strike Force imploded 15 years ago. Audits and investigations found a pattern of corruption — which included illegally seizing property and engaging in excessive force, often against people of color.
Reader Shawn Bassett of St. Paul followed the story closely as the scandal unfolded in a series of cascading revelations. Years later, he wondered if any of the individuals involved were ever punished.
He reached out to Curious Minnesota, the Strib’s reader-driven reporting project, asking, “What happened to the officers who were part of the Metro Gang Strike Force?”
“I remember that it was egregious corruption,” Bassett said. “I didn’t know if there were consequences.”
The officers seized cash and valuables, including television sets, cars, and in one case, even an auger used to drill holes for ice fishing, investigations found. Members of the multi-jurisdictional agency even at times took home property for their own use.
They drove some of the vehicles they confiscated. Evidence was often mishandled. Frequently, criminal charges were not filed against those they targeted.
Shelly Blas, shown here with her father Felix Blas, said in 2009 that the Strike Force came into her home, broke a number of windows and items, and verbally assaulted the family. (Flores, Elizabeth)
As the scandal deepened, Michael Campion, then the state’s commissioner of public safety, permanently disbanded the force on July 17, 2009. But only one officer faced federal criminal charges. Some were suspended, while others resigned.
Star Tribune
New LGBTQ community center with a co-working cafe opens in Uptown Minneapolis
The founders of Queermunity, Minneapolis’ newest LGBTQ social club and resource center, remember the first summer after the pandemic very well. Group chats lit up amidst a flurry of excitement as people started to go back out again to try to make much-needed, social connections.
But bars and dance clubs are only a part of the answer, co-founder Hilary Otey said.
“We can talk, we can be together, we can get drunk. But how do you actually rebuild community with authentic interactions?” Otey said. “Nothing wrong with a lesbian bar… but there has to be more and different opportunities.”
There are 300+ LGBTQ community centers in the U.S., so why shouldn’t the Twin Cities have one, business and life partners Otey and Kayla Barth wondered. Their new space opened in Uptown last month.
While the cities boast many opportunities for LGBTQ-centered services as well as queer nightlife, there hadn’t been a place centered around the other forms of social wellbeing, Otey said. They both dreamed of a space with lots of options for activities, including those that are family friendly, alcohol free or that start before 10 p.m.
“We really wanted to focus on creating a space that met the needs of folks whose needs were not being met elsewhere, who didn’t have a space where they felt included and connected,” Otey said.
The space, at the previously vacant 3036 Hennepin Ave. beside Magers and Quinn Booksellers, offers a cafe, co-working, and space for groups to rent.
Queermunity also hosts a variety of social events. In the three weeks since opening, Queermunity has hosted a craft circle, yoga, trivia, quiet reading and even a pop-up group wedding for couples looking to marry ahead of the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump. Coming soon? A spades night, sound baths, grief processing sessions and gender-affirming haircuts.