Star Tribune
James Ulland, a former Republican lawmaker from Duluth, dies at 82
DULUTH – In the late 1960s, James Ulland was a commercial tree farmer with 660 acres of tax-forfeited land he had acquired between French River and Alborn, in northern Minnesota. He had started with 10,000 trees and quickly expanded to 140,000 — with plans to add 60,000 red pine and white spruce seedlings in the spring.
This rated as a superlative: In the previous two years, Ulland had planted more trees in St. Louis County than any other private individual. He told a reporter from the Duluth News Tribune at the time that the red pines wouldn’t hit maturity until he was 109 years old.
In 1968, Ulland’s occupation was listed as economist/tree farmer when was elected to the Minnesota House and later to the Minnesota Senate from traditionally Democratic-leaning Duluth. He spent 15 years in state politics and was later appointed by Gov. Arne Carlson to be the commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Commerce. In 1997, he founded Ulland Investment Advisors, a boutique Minneapolis firm where he spent the rest of his career.
“It didn’t matter whether it was politics or business or family and friends — he was very funny, very smart with a quick wit, and very active,” said Ann Glumac, who is married to Ulland’s brother Bill Ulland.
Former Gov. Arne Carlson remembered Ulland as bright with a good sense of humor and a delight to work alongside. He is remembered as a strong environmentalist with a message about the hole in the ozone layer and its impact on mankind, Carlson said.
“He was the first [layperson] to grasp the early stages of what we now call climate change,” Carlson said. “He began to realize over time that we had to develop policies that had a long-term impact and to recognize that the earth’s climate was changing and it was harmful to man’s ability to survive.”
Mike Jaros, who served in the Minnesota House about the same time as Ulland and represented neighboring areas, said he always admired Ulland. They came from different parties, but DFLer Jaros said he enjoyed working with Ulland.
Star Tribune
Man accused in UnitedHealthcare CEO killing expected to appear at hearing on extradition to New York
Mangione, 26, of Towson, Maryland, was arrested on Dec. 9 when police were called to a McDonald’s restaurant on a commercial strip in Altoona, Pennsylvania, after he was reported to match the description of Thompson’s killer.
Thompson was gunned down on the street as he walked to the hotel where his Minnesota-based company was holding an investor conference. The shooting was captured on security video, but the suspect eluded police before Mangione was captured about 277 miles (446 kilometers) west of New York.
Authorities say Mangione was carrying the gun used to kill Thompson, a passport, a fake ID and about $10,000 in U.S. and foreign currency. His lawyer, Dickey, has questioned the evidence for the forgery charge and the legal basis for a gun charge. He had previously indicated Mangione would fight extradition to New York while being held in a Pennsylvania state prison.
Mangione, an Ivy League computer science graduate from a prominent family, was carrying a handwritten letter that called health insurance companies ”parasitic” and complained about corporate greed, according to a law enforcement bulletin obtained by The Associated Press last week.
Sisak reported from New York.
The Twin Cities is finally seeing its first substantial snowfall of the season, and the locals have taken to social media to post their elation — and words of caution — as the region is expected to see up to 7 inches of accumulation Thursday.
The National Weather Service has urged caution as motorists took to the roads in the morning.
“Plan for a slick and hazardous Thursday morning commute,” NWS said. “Allow extra time to get to your destination and remember, take it slow.”
Several folks have taken to sites like X and Bluesky to broadcast road conditions.
Meanwhile, several folks posted about Thursday’s snowfall with a jubilant tone.
Now, union leaders are calling on HCMC leadership to change hospital bylaws to guarantee labor unions can select their representation on the oversight board. “If they are truly serious about honoring the voices of frontline workers, this is the path forward,” Olson-Ehlert said.
The latest disagreement is part of an ongoing clash between workers at HCMC and hospital leadership, including CEO Jennifer DeCubellis. Nurses, EMTs and other union members began speaking out last year about changes to their health insurance, safety in the workplace and ongoing recruitment and retention challenges.
“Unfortunately, the current executive leadership at HHS, and specifically the CEO, have not prioritized the voices of frontline employees,” the Hennepin County Association of Paramedics and EMTs said in a statement, noting the importance of the hospital to the region. “We should expect that the board of that institution represents frontline workers and the communities we serve.”
Workers went as far as calling on the county board to take back control of HCMC, which commissioners did not support. The county created Hennepin Healthcare System in 2006 to run the hospital and other clinics.
County leaders spent most of 2024 probing the hospital’s budget and how it affected workers. In November, the County Board unanimously approved the hospital’s spending plan and new board member recommendations for the coming year.
