Star Tribune
Minnesota legislative auditor releases report on governor’s botched cannabis director hiring
The governor’s office missed some standard background check steps before its botched appointment of Erin DuPree as Minnesota’s first cannabis director last fall, the state’s legislative auditor concluded Thursday.
DuPree, who owned an Apple Valley retail store selling hemp-derived cannabis products, stepped down a day after Gov. Tim Walz appointed her amid reports she sold illegal products and had federal tax liens and judgments against her. State Legislative Auditor Judy Randall’s preliminary assessment of the matter outlined missteps, recommended improvements that the governor’s office said it has since made, and declared the case closed.
Randall’s main takeaway was a missed review by the state Department of Revenue that could have uncovered the liens and judgments against DuPree.
DuPree and another finalist signed consent forms authorizing background checks by the state Department of Public Safety (DPS) and Department of Revenue.
The governor’s office assumed the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension within DPS would work with the Revenue Department on its background checks of the finalists, the report states.
“This is in contrast to the office’s Standard Operating Procedure, which directs the Governor’s Office to send the signed release forms directly to the Department of Revenue,” Randall wrote.
The BCA ended up conducting financial background checks with a system separate from the Revenue Department’s, missing information maintained by the department.
“Among other things, BCA’s background check included a review of criminal history, driving records, civil judgments, and employment history. It also included a review of credit reports and net worth. It did not include a review of all information maintained by the Department of Revenue. As a result, the BCA background check did not identify any unpaid tax liens,” Randall wrote.
Additionally, staff from the governor’s office noted to Randall that the BCA “had never performed a background study for the Governor’s Office. As a result, it is possible that some assumptions the Governor’s Office made about the background checks—such as assuming that BCA was reviewing Department of Revenue information—were incorrect.”
Walz’s office appointed more than 750 people to state agencies, boards, commissions and other positions last year, Randall noted.
Going forward, Randall recommended the governor’s office independently confirm that background checks of high-level appointees include a review of the individuals’ business and tax information and any outstanding court judgments, among other things.
In a letter to Randall on Monday, governor’s office General Counsel Mary Fee wrote that the office has implemented the suggested changes, among others.
“We’ve also increased Governor’s Office capacity for research about potential appointments,” Fee wrote. “The Governor’s Office strives to go above and beyond to ensure quality appointments and we will continue that work. We appreciate the OLA’s collaboration to identify opportunities to improve.”
The governor’s office announced Thursday it has opened an expanded application process as it searches for a permanent director for Minnesota’s new Office of Cannabis Management, which is overseeing the creation and regulation of the recreational marijuana market. A dedicated recruiter from Minnesota’s Management and Budget agency will help conduct a national search. Applications will be accepted through Feb. 26.
State government veteran Charlene Briner has been leading the Office of Cannabis Management on an interim basis since June. Walz formally appointed Briner as the agency’s interim director on Thursday.
“For the last eight months, Charlene has worked tirelessly across state agencies to build the new Office of Cannabis Management from the ground up,” Walz said in a statement. “I’m grateful for the work being done to not only revamp our vetting process but also expand our recruiting process.”
Star Tribune
Long Prairie, MN school board dismisses its superintendent, the latest controversy in this small town
LONG PRAIRIE, MINN. — The school district superintendent dressed up as the school mascot, Thor, on football nights. He read the graduation address in both English and Spanish. He even set up office hours in the cafeteria, granting easier approachability to students.
But now, two months into the school year, Daniel Ludvigson is gone. Or, rather, “on special assignment,” according to the terminology of the Long Prairie-Grey Eagle School Board, which voted 4-3 earlier this month to remove him as superintendent. The move came weeks after voting to not renew his contract, which expires at the end of the school year in June.
Four board members — two of whom voted to oust Ludvigson, including Board Chair Kelly Lemke — are up for re-election next week.
The dismissal is the latest blow in this central Minnesota community on the edge of the prairie. Over the last nine months, the town of 3,400 residents and seat of Todd County has lost its mayor, a city manager, two school board members, and now its superintendent.
Students walked out earlier this month in support of Ludvigson. Signs in support of Ludvigson can be seen across town on the lawns of apparent Democrats and Republicans alike. And last week, hundreds packed the American Legion off Hwy. 71 to eat beef sandwiches and sign support letters for Ludvigson, who only swung by to pick up his child for hockey practice.
In a time of great divide in America, this fight has nothing to do with politics.
“You’ve got Harris buttons and Trump hats side-by-side, arm-in-arm,” said Amanda Hinson, a former local newspaper reporter who is concerned the board is not being upfront about why they placed Ludvigson on special assignment. “We want transparency in our government.”
Lawn signs around Long Prairie, Minn., now include people weighing in on the dismissal of Superintendent Daniel Ludvigson by the school board. (Christopher Vondracek)
School board members say Ludvigson has repeatedly shown he is not ready for the prime time of a school district bigger than the one in central North Dakota he arrived from two years ago. They have twice disciplined Ludvigson, but did not state the reason for placing him on “special assignment,” beyond insinuating that staff are fearful to raise official complaints.
Rain and potentially heavy snow are on tap Thursday around the Twin Cities, just before families set out for Halloween trick-or-treating.
Temperatures were expected to drop throughout the day, creating conditions for flurries. A winter weather advisory is in effect from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. covering the Twin Cities metro area and parts of south-central Minnesota. Steady rain drenched the Twin Cities on Thursday, making for a soggy morning commute.
“As colder air begins to move in this morning, the rain will transition to heavy snow from west to east with snowfall rates of an inch per hour at times into early afternoon,” the National Weather Service in Chanhassen said in a weather advisory.
The Twin Cities and surrounding areas could get between 2 and 4 inches of snow, according to the weather service. The winter weather advisory is expected to affect Anoka, Chisago, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott, Washington and Le Sueur counties.
It’s unclear how much of the snow will actually stick, with warm surface temperatures likely leading to melting on contact in many areas.
“Exact totals will depend on snowfall rate, surface temperatures, and melting — which increases uncertainty with the snow forecast,” the weather service said in an early Thursday briefing.
“Thundersnow possible!” the weather service emphasized.
The good news for Halloween revelers is that the snow and rain are expected to wrap up in time for trick-or-treating, though temperatures will remain in the 30s with a sharp windchill.
An off-duty Washington County sheriff’s deputy caused a head-on crash while under the influence of alcohol and injured a couple in the other vehicle, officials said.
The crash occurred about 10:40 a.m. Sunday in Afton on Hwy. 95 at Scenic Lane, the Minnesota State Patrol said.
Campbell Johnston Blair, 58, of Hastings, was heading north in his Subaru Crosstrek, crossed into the opposite lane and collided with a southbound Ford Expedition, the patrol said.
Blair and the other vehicle’s occupants, 38-year-old Erik Robert Sward and 36-year-old Heather Lynn Sward, both of Lake Elmo, were taken to Regions Hospital with non-critical injuries, according to the patrol.
The patrol noted the alcohol use by Blair was involved in the crash.
Blair, who was driving a private vehicle at the time of the crash while off-duty, has been a deputy with the Sheriff’s Office since 2020 and is currently assigned to our Court Security Unit.
The Sheriff’s Office has been asked for reaction to the crash involving one of its deputies.
Minnesota may get snow Thursday. Here’s how much more the Halloween Blizzard Of 1991 dropped.
Suspect “led us to the evidence” in Montana camper’s brutal killing, initially thought to have been bear attack
Long Prairie, MN school board dismisses its superintendent, the latest controversy in this small town
Minnesota may get snow Thursday. Here’s how much more the Halloween Blizzard Of 1991 dropped.
Suspect “led us to the evidence” in Montana camper’s brutal killing, initially thought to have been bear attack