MInnesota News Briefs: No civil trial for Senser

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MINNEAPOLIS -- There will be no civil trial in the Amy Senser hit-and-run case. Senser and the family of Anousone Phanthavong have agreed to a financial settlement in the wrongful death civil lawsuit.

Phanthavong's family has chosen to keep the amount of the settlement confidential. The law firm Schwebel, Goetz and Sieben issued a statement saying, "no financial settlement will ever replace what the family has lost." A Hennepin County jury found the 45-year-old wife of ex-Viking Joe Senser guilty on two of three criminal vehicular homicide charges in the death of Phanthavong. Sentencing is July 9th.

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These are anxious times for the University of Minnesota. The Minnesota House is poised to give the U only $54-million dollars for building projects - about one-third what the University says it needs. And the number is about half what the House wants to give the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. U of M President Eric Kaler says the University's $169-million bonding request represents the most critical building projects for the U. The House has delayed a vote on a statewide bonding bill which includes the U of M's request.

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The CEO of the Redwood Area Hospital has been placed on unpaid administrative leave. Administrator James Schulte is accused of receiving inappropriate travel expense reimbursements. He was put on unpaid leave while the allegations are being investigated by the city of Redwood Falls.

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According to sources, President Obama will pay a visit to Minnesota less than a month from now. Reports say the president has scheduled a stop on June first, one day before the start of the state DFL convention in Rochester. No other details have been released. Obama's last visit to Minnesota was an August appearance in Cannon Falls.

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Congresswoman Michele Bachmann's endorsement of Mitt Romney could be a big step toward uniting Republicans. The Minnesota conservative said she wants to be a unifying voice to bring the party together at the right time. Bachmann says things have changed since she was Romney's rival on the campaign trail and that she has full confidence in Romney's ability and believes he will appeal and reach out to independents and disaffected Democrats. Bachmann got big cheers when she appeared with Romney at campaign event Thursday in Virginia. One woman carried a sign that read "Bachmann for VP."

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The University of Minnesota Senate is opposed to the constitutional amendment that would ban same-sex marriage in the state. Members of the U of M faculty, staff and students at the five campuses voted Thursday to adoption the resolution. The U of M Senate also called on the university community to discourage discrimination. Voters will consider a ballot question in November that would amend the Minnesota Constitution to define marriage as between one man and one woman.

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The author of the Vikings stadium bill is calling on her colleagues in the Minnesota Legislature to approve the measure. Senator Julie Rosen says it is imperative that we complete passage of this bill to get people to work, to secure our major league football team, and complete our commitment to improving the quality of life in Minnesota. Rosen's bill would use revenues from electronic pulltabs to pay the state's nearly $400-million-dollar share of project. The Fairmont Republican believes her legislation is the best and most thorough plan for the state. The House is scheduled to vote Monday on the bi-partisan legislation.

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The Minnesota State Patrol is investigating a fatal two-vehicle crash on Highway 10/169 in Anoka County. Troopers say a car ran a stop sign, crossed the highway and t-boned an SUV. One driver is dead, one passenger is in critical condition and the SUV driver suffered minor injuries. The early morning collision (Fri 3am) slowed eastbound traffic heading toward the Twin Cities.

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The number of bicyclists killed on Minnesota roads is going down while bike crashes rose slightly last year. Preliminary statistics show there were four fatalities in 2011 and 942 injury accidents. MnDOT's Tim Mitchell says one reason for the uptick in crashes could be a significant increase in bicyclists using the roads. He says more and more people are biking to get to a friend's house, the grocery store or riding into work. State officials are asking bicyclists and drivers to share the roads. Governor Dayton has proclaimed May as Bike Month.

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Even the southern suburbs of the Twin Cities are not warm enough for an alligator to survive year-round. But there it was on Wednesday in Bloomington, a three-and-a-half-foot gator hissing at a resident's dog. No one knows where the alligator came from. It was captured and is now being kept by the U.S. fish and Wildlife Service.

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Minnesota is rich in museums with more than 560 across the state. And new figures show museums give far more than education and entertainment. The State Historical Society's Lory Sutton says there's revenue of $300-million per year impact on the state - from visitors coming, from employment, from people who eat at local restaurants. She says that last year alone museums had a $674 impact on Minnesota. She notes that May is Minnesota Museums Month - the nation's first month-long statewide celebrations of museums.

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More Minnesota Red Bulls file into armories around the state today. More than 220 soldiers from the First Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry arrive to waiting families and friends in Albert Lea, Anoka, Austin, Bloomington, Brooklyn Park, Mankato, Owatonna, Rochester, St. Cloud, Winona and West St. Paul.

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Minnesota's flu season continues to hang on. The state Health Department reports two people died of complications from influenze while 17 others were hospitalized in the most recent week of activity. To date, there have been 26 deaths and 543 hospitalizations in Minnesota. Also, six schools and three nursing homes reported outbreaks of flu.

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Governor Dayton has vetoed a bill that would have changed Minnesota's seniority-based teacher tenure system by allowing school districts to also consider teacher performance when making layoffs. Dayton calls the bill another example of "prejudice against public school teachers." He says the state requires that starting in the 2016-17 school year, teacher performance be one of the factors in layoff decisions, but Dayton says evaluation methods have not been selected and the legislature should wait until after that to act. House bill sponsor, Andover Republican Branden Petersen says the governor sided with big labor special interests. Peterson says the bill would allow schools to keep their most effective teachers on staff, and the governor's veto "dealt a major blow to teachers, schools, students and parents across the state."

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May is one of the deadliest months for teen traffic crashes in Minnesota. Gordy Pehrson with the Minnesota Department of Public Safety says teens are busy this time of year with activities surrounding prom and graduation. He says now is a good time for parents to sit down with their kids and go over the basics of driving. Over the last ten years, there has been 346 teen traffic deaths in Minnesota. Pehrson says many of the accidents could have been prevented.

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The tallest man in America, who lives in Rochester, is getting a brand new pair of shoes. Seven-foot-eight-inch tall Igor Vovkovinskiy traveled from Minnesota to the Reebok Shoe Company's headquarters in Canton, Massachusetts for a special fitting on Thursday. The assignment: fit Igor with size-26 sneakers. Reebok figures it will take anywhere from two to three months to make a pair for Vovkovinskiy, who has undergone more than a dozen foot surgeries. The company is also picking up the estimated $12-to-$20-thousand tab. The 29-year old moved with his family to Rochester from Kiev when he was six feet fall, at the age of seven.

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Here are the winning numbers from the Minnesota State Lottery for Thursday, May 3rd, 2012. The Daily Three: 3-7-7. Northstar Cash: 11-20-26-29-30.

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