Kirsten Swanson KSTP

4 weeks ago | kstp.com | Kirsten Swanson |Kirsten Swanson KSTP

Minnesota’s Department of Human Services is warning of both immediate and wide-ranging consequences after the Trump administration canceled $27.5 million in grants that funded mental health and substance abuse treatment programs. The money is part of the federal COVID-19 relief funding that was set to expire in September. However, DHS said the “sudden and unexpected termination” on Monday means programs and projects across the state will come to an end.

1 month ago | kstp.com | Kirsten Swanson |Kirsten Swanson KSTP

The Washington County Board of Commissioners approved a multi-million dollar settlement Tuesday morning, ending a civil lawsuit against one of its sheriff’s deputies who shot and killed a suicidal man. In 2018, Deputy Brian Krook shot and killed Benjamin Evans. The 23-year-old was armed with a handgun and threatening to kill himself when deputies found him kneeling in a Lake Elmo intersection.

1 month ago | kstp.com | Kirsten Swanson |Kirsten Swanson KSTP

Anton “Tony” Lazzaro, the political donor and strategist found guilty of sex trafficking minors in Minnesota in 2023, has lost an appeal of his conviction. The 8th Circuit Court of Appeals issued its ruling on Tuesday, affirming the jury’s verdict, as well as a handful of rulings made by Chief Judge Patrick J. Schiltz, who presided over the trial. Lazzaro, dubbed “Minnesota’s Jeffrey Epstein” by federal prosecutors, is currently serving a 21-year sentence at the state’s federal prison in Sandstone.

1 month ago | kstp.com | Kirsten Swanson |Kirsten Swanson KSTP

Mike Taggatz struggled to see a way out. He was facing eviction from his South Saint Paul home and repossession of his vehicle. “I got way behind, and there was just no way to get caught up,” Taggatz said. His mental health quickly deteriorated, resulting in an attempted suicide last May. “It’s kind of a blur, but I called 911,” Taggatz said.

2 months ago | kstp.com | Kirsten Swanson |Kirsten Swanson KSTP

Fire departments across the country are bracing for big changes to federal safety standards that are intended to keep firefighters safe on the job. But in Minnesota, there’s growing concern that red tape could break the budgets of hundreds of small, volunteer fire departments and ultimately increase the time it takes crews to respond in an emergency. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, published a 250-page draft of the regulations last year.