Kare11
Medtronic CEO on newest procedure, future of medtech industry
As transformational as the pacemaker was, Martha believes a new Medtronic procedure, just approved by the FDA, will be even bigger.
MINNEAPOLIS — Seventy-five years ago, Medtronic, the world’s largest medical device company, was born. It was created in a garage in Minneapolis by two men who would go on to invent the pacemaker.
That device, according to today’s CEO, Geoff Martha, not only put Medtronic on the map, it kickstarted the entire medical technology industry. And Minnesota, he says, is now the world’s premier medtech hub.
As transformational as the pacemaker was, Martha believes a new Medtronic procedure, just approved by the FDA, will be even bigger.
It’s called The Symplicity Spyral program and it treats high blood pressure — in some cases, without drugs. In the outpatient procedure, a doctor inserts a metal tube near the kidneys and uses radio frequency energy to deaden the renal nerves, which lowers blood pressure.
“It’s, like, an hour-long procedure,” Martha says, “with mild sedation and really no pain.”
Patients are seeing double-digit decreases in blood pressure, which Martha says is massive.
“You know, just three or four points will reduce your risk of heart attack or stroke by 20 to 30 percent. I mean, these are big movements,” he said.
When you consider that 30 percent of adults worldwide have high blood pressure, you can understand why Martha is so confident in Symplicity’s potential.
“Well, look, we’re saying it’s a, you know, $100 billion market opportunity and, just 1% penetration is $1 billion of revenue for us.”
Martha cites other promising new procedures from Medtronic that treat everything from atrial fibrillation, a common problem in older people, to another common disease, diabetes.
Their new continuous glucose monitor, he says, is getting very close to mimicking a healthy pancreas. It’s keeping patients’ blood sugar in a healthy range more than 90 percent of the time.
All these advancements, Martha argues, aren’t just good for the company, they’re good for the entire state, attracting talent to Minnesota and driving economic growth.
As for Medtronic, it started 75 years ago with just two employees. It now employs 95,000 around the world — 10,000 of them right here in Minnesota.
As impressive as that is, Martha believes the medtech industry is at an inflection point. With the introduction of artificial intelligence, enhanced computing, and robotics into the MedTech space, the innovation of the next 10 or 20 years, he says, will dwarf the last 75.
According to Martha, “Sky’s the limit.”
The Get Out MORE investments are helping ensure Minnesotans of all abilities are able to enjoy the outdoor activities the state has to offer.
ROSEMOUNT, Minn. — The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is working to make the outdoors more accessible, including improvements to hunting and fishing access.
“We make other states jealous would be putting it lightly. We hear a lot of feedback from our peers, our counterparts in other states, that wish they had the initiatives that we have here in Minnesota. We are extremely fortunate,” said Jamie Gangaware, Minnesota DNR wildlife operations manager and wildlife section.
The 2023 legislature approved a one-time $150 million for Get Out MORE (Modernize Outdoor Recreation Experiences) investments. About $5 million is committed to enhancing public access to wildlife management areas (WMA).
On Tuesday afternoon, Minnesota DNR staff and representatives from the organization Capable Partners gathered at Vermillion Highlands WMA in Rosemount.
The WMA has three different types of blinds that hunters with disabilities are able to use, including a hydraulic lift blind. It allows hunters to get a bird’s eye view.
The DNR is looking to add four more of these elevated blinds that can be moved all across the state to different WMAs.
“Try it because if you really love hunting, this will be your best opportunity to do such a thing,” said Barry Hite from Emily, Minn.
Hite has been hunting with Capable Partners for about 20 years.
The organization focuses on making the outdoors accessible.
“What a game-changer that has been. Without Capable Partners to help me, there’s no way I could hunt. Because that capable partner is my ears, my eyes, and they track,” said Terrie Schrank, president of Capable Partners.
Vermillion Highlands has partnered with the organization since 2011.
Tim Pharis, area wildlife supervisor for Dakota, Scott, Carver and a portion of Hennepin, recalled a blind hunter who came to the Vermillion Highlands with help from an assistant.
“To watch him come out of the blind and approach the deer… just watching him kind of feeling the antlers and touching parts of the deer’s body was a super emotional thing for me. It’s just a big take home message that we need to be providing more of these opportunities to the public,” Pharis said.
Other improvements will include seven fully accessible parking lots at WMAs and more than 100 projects to retrofit the DNR’s current hunting blinds and wildlife observation platforms to make them ADA compliant.
$5 million is being invested towards shore fishing access and improvements.
Jim Levitt, shore fishing coordinator for the section of fisheries with the MN DNR, said there are more than 300 potential sites across the state that could benefit from shore fishing improvements.
“If you’re a wheelchair user, it really limits you where you can go. And then when you really look at it and see how many of those are actually in the metro, if you’re outside the metro you’re really limited to the places that you can go fishing. So this program and the Get Out MORE funding has really allowed us to expand those opportunities all over the state,” Levitt said.
Levitt has a goal of completing 100 projects with the $5 million dollars they received.
In celebration of everything the state has to offer, Governor Tim Walz is proclaiming Saturday, Sept. 28 as Hunting and Fishing Day in Minnesota.
David Trauba, interim MN DNR wildlife section manager, read the proclamation at Tuesday’s press conference and presented the proclamation to Capable Partners.
Lue Chang was charged with second-degree murder after prosecutors say he shot a man multiple times in the backyard where “numerous children were playing.”
BROOKLYN PARK, Minn. — A 32-year-old Brooklyn Park man allegedly shot and killed a man at a family celebration Saturday in Brooklyn Park, according to court documents.
Lue Chang was charged Tuesday with second-degree murder after prosecutors say he shot a man multiple times in a backyard where “numerous children were playing” during a celebration for the birth of multiple children in the family.
Witnesses told investigators that Chang shot the man multiple times before a group of family members jumped on him “to detain him and get the gun away from him,” according to the criminal complaint.
Officials say the shooting occurred just after 6:30 p.m. on the 8400 block of Adair Avenue North in Brooklyn Park. When officers arrived, they found a large group, including adults and children, scattered throughout the garage, backyard and inside the home. Investigators say the victim was laying on the ground, unconscious with multiple gunshot wounds to his abdomen and back. The man, later identified as 34-year-old Nichanon Kittikroekphon of Coon Rapids, was transported to North Memorial Hospital where he later died.
According to court documents, one of the witnesses who was holding down Chang asked him why he shot Kittikroekphon, and Chang responded “Because he disrespected me.” Another witness told police they heard Chang tell Kittikroekphon, “Today you’re going to die.” The witness said Chang then pulled out a handgun and shot Kittikroekphon.
Video of the shooting allegedly shows the two speaking before the shooting. Prosecutors say Chang looked “somewhat upset” in the video. At one point, Chang is allegedly seen pulling out a gun and shooting an unarmed Kittikroekphon. The video also showed a boy, believed to be about 2 years old, standing with a foot or so of the victim, according to the criminal complaint.
Kare11
Metro Transit Police Chief resigns during investigation into hostile workplace, sexual harassment claims, sources say
Sources inside the department tell KARE11 14 employees brought forward complaints of a hostile workplace or sexual harassment.
MINNEAPOLIS — Sources inside Metro Transit have confirmed to KARE11 that Ernest Morales III, the now-former police chief, has resigned amid an investigation into his conduct. Those sources say that comes after 14 employees brought forward sexual harassment or hostile workplace complaints.
This comes after Morales was placed on leave in August. His personnel file from the Metropolitan Council shows he was placed on non-medical leave, though it did not disclose what the reason was.
The Metropolitan Council declined to comment on Morales or this situation, but instead spoke on safety initiatives.
“At Metro Transit, providing a safe and welcoming system for our riders and employees is a top priority,” a statement from the council reads. “Strengthening public safety is an agency-wide effort involving everyone, and this important work continues without disruption.”
In August, Morales shared that ridership is up and overall reported crime is down.
As of this article’s publishing, Morales is still listed as chief on Metro Transit’s website. A billboard across the street from Metro Transit’s office near Target Field still bears a recruiting ad featuring Morales as of Tuesday afternoon.
Metro Transit officials say Captain Joseph Dotseth has agreed to serve as Interim Metro Transit Police Chief.
Man charged with getting in a shootout with trooper on I-94 in Minneapolis after causing crash.
Trump promises lower taxes for U.S. manufacturers in Georgia
Duluth mayor’s girlfriend and campaign manager is involved in city business, emails show
Man charged with getting in a shootout with trooper on I-94 in Minneapolis after causing crash.
Trump promises lower taxes for U.S. manufacturers in Georgia