MINNEAPOLIS — Minneapolis police announced Wednesday a woman has been arrested in connection with a crash that killed two on the city’s north side Monday morning.

MPD Chief Brian O’Hara said in a statement that the 38-year-old was booked into the Hennepin County Jail after leaving the hospital Tuesday. The woman faces pending criminal vehicular homicide charges after her vehicle allegedly struck another vehicle at the intersection of Emerson and 26th Avenues North, killing both of its occupants.

The victims, Esther Fulks, 53, and Rose Reece, 57, died from their injuries, while a teenager waiting at his school bus stop was also struck. Authorities said the teen suffered non-life-threatening injuries and is expected to survive.

The 38-year-old accused of instigating the crash and her passenger, a man, were also treated for injuries. While the woman has since been released from the hospital, the status of her passenger is still unknown.

Despite her arrest, KARE 11 does not typically identify individuals before they’ve been formally charged.

Speaking to KARE 11 after the crash, a woman who identified herself as Candy said people often drive at high speeds in this area and go through lights at this particular intersection. She said she’s been rear-ended just a block away from where this crash took place and thinks more patrols in the area would help stop dangerous driving. 

“You gotta always wait, even if the light’s green, wait because they’re gonna hit y’all,” she said. 

O’Hara said the cause of the crash is still being investigated, but speed is “likely a contributing factor.” 

“I want to emphasize the importance for every driver to drive at safe speeds and stay hyper-focused and engaged while operating a motor vehicle,” he said in a press release. 

ORROCK, Minn. — A utility worker died after falling from a boom truck bucket on a job site near Big Lake.

The Sherburne County Sheriff’s Office said Thomas L. Stewart, 59, of Dayton, fell 6-8 feet while working in a ditch in Orrock Township just before 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 17.

First responders attempted life-saving efforts and Stewart was taken to St. Cloud Hospital, “where he was pronounced dead late Tuesday night,” according to a news release. 

No further information was released.

MINNESOTA, USA — A handful of new laws are scheduled to go into effect in Minnesota on Jan. 1 — the highlights, seemingly centered around a theme of transparency.

Whether it’s workers’ pay, fair prices for concert tickets or your rights as a renter, check out what’s coming to Minnesota and how each piece of legislation will affect you.

Were you part of the Great Taylor Swift-Ticketmaster Debacle of 2022? Following an epic Eras Tour ticket meltdown, legislators took it upon themselves to introduce new protections for online ticket buyers, which are covered under the Ticketing Fairness Act.

• requiring “all-in pricing” to ensure ticket buyers know the total cost of a ticket upfront;
• ensuring ticket purchasers receive proof of purchase and refund policy details within 24 hours;
• banning deceptive advertising;
• banning speculative pricing; and
• requiring an online ticket marketplace to disclose on its website that it is a ticket reseller.

Further, the law states that if a reseller uses a “bot” or other technology to hoard tickets, the Department of Commerce will now have the power to demand the reseller disclose how it was able to accomplish the deception.

The state said that information could then be shared with the attorney general’s office for possible prosecution.

As of Jan. 1, both individuals and businesses will not be allowed to advertise, display or offer a price for goods or services that does not include all mandatory fees or surcharges.

This is especially critical for online sales, as mentioned above, whereas the law states, “When a consumer views and selects either a vendor or items for purchase, a delivery platform must, prior to checkout, display in a clear and conspicuous manner that an additional flat fee or percentage will be charged.”

Government-imposed taxes, such as sales taxes, are not subject to the mandated disclosure requirements.

Other exemptions include:

• fees authorized by law related to the purchase or lease of a motor vehicle that are charged by a motor vehicle dealer;
• fees added by a business or the business’ affiliate where either the business or the affiliate is regulated by the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission;
• fees, surcharges, or other costs associated with real estate settlement services, except for real estate broker commissions and fees.

If you’ve applied for a job recently, you may have been frustrated by the lack of insight into its attached salary range. 

But starting in January, prospective workers will no longer be kept in the dark about pay. Starting Jan. 1, Minnesota employers are required to disclose starting salary ranges or fixed pay rates — as well as benefits and other compensation — in each new job posting.

Additionally, the state’s minimum wage will be adjusted for inflation, raising it from $10.85 for large employers and $8.85 for small employers, to $11.13 per hour across the board. 

The new law states: “Minnesota’s minimum wage law was revised to eliminate the reduced minimum wages applicable for small employers (defined as annual gross revenues less than $500,000), youth under the age of 18 and J-1 visa workers.”

Exemptions for the new minimum wage rule include places like in Minneapolis and St. Paul, where each city has imposed its own laws regarding minimum wage and compensation.

For more information about changes coming to employment in Minnesota, click here.

Starting in the new year, renters will be afforded new protections regarding shared utility billing, in which Minnesota’s cold weather rule will be applied.

The rule protects residential utility customers from having their electricity or natural gas shut off between October and April and gives the Public Utilities Commission the power to intervene when tenants and landlords are unable to settle related disputes.

The provision also allows tenants to organize for improved living conditions and prohibits landlords from taking retaliatory actions if a renter reports a code violation to a government entity, seeks assistance from a community organizer, contacts the media and/or testify in any court or an administrative proceeding concerning the condition of the premises. 

For more on your rights as a renter in 2025, click here.

Guns with “binary triggers” will be prohibited starting Jan. 1.

With a binary trigger, firearms can shoot one shot with the first pull of a trigger, while a second can be shot on the trigger’s release.

For more on recent gun control measures, click here.

To see the full list of laws going into effect in the new year, visit the Minnesota Legislature’s website.