Minnesota News Briefs: Man Sentenced After DWI Crash Killed Nurse

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CROOKSTON, Minn. -- A 21-year-old Grand Forks man gave a tear-filled apology before being sentenced to four years in prison -- following a deadly drunk driving crash in Polk County last February.

Daniel Johnson's blood alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit when his pickup was slammed into by a vehicle driven by 39-year old Darcey Jablonski. A combination of heavy fog and alcohol were factors in the crash on Highway 2, just west of Fisher in the eastbound lane. The State Patrol says Johnson was parked on the highway, facing the wrong direction with no lights on, when the victim slammed into him head-on at nearly full speed. Jablonski's boyfriend, a paramedic, was one of the first to arrive at the horrific scene on Highway-2 near Fisher.

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There's a movement in Washington by children who want to stop cuts in funding to train pediatric specialists. Among them, 14-year old cancer survivor Michael Johnston of Vadnais Heights, who will with meet with Minnesota's senators for Children's Hospital Association Family Advocacy Day. Johnston wants more pediatricians hired to help with the backlog of appointments at doctors' offices. The boy had a brain tumor removed less than two years ago but says the diagnosis was long in coming due to how long it took to get in to see a doctor. Johnston flies to the nation's capital today.

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With the exception of northern Minnesota, our state's weather will remain stormy throughout the morning -- and then again tonight into Wednesday. The National Weather Service warns that rains could be very heavy in portions of central and southern Minnesota and severe thunderstorms are possible. Meanwhile, folks in southeastern Minnesota got an icy present early this morning: nickel-sized hail in Northfield.

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The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency concluded 34 enforcement cases in 26 counties from May through June. Flame Metals in Rogers and Magnetation Incorporated in Keewatin were among the companies paying penalties. MPCA spokesman Steve Mikkelson says the total penalty amount over the last quarter was just over $326,000, adding that penalties are often the result of air, water and waste violations.

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One of the earliest Europeans to explore Minnesota was born on this day in 1786 in France. Joseph Nicollet was known for the maps he published of the upper Mississippi River -- and for the initials he and others engraved on the Pipestone quarries of southwestern Minnesota.

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Authorities north of the Twin Cities have not yet released the name of the man killed by a freight train last night. Reports say the man's body was found by tracks in Fridley after a Burlington Northern-Santa Fe train struck him. The accident did not happen at a crossing but it was near where there was a derailment about a year ago.

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Authorities have released the name of the pilot who died and a passenger who was injured when a small plane crashed Sunday on Upper Whitefish Lake near Crosslake in north-central Minnesota. Fifty-five-year old Dan Steffen died at the scene and 61-year-old Frederick Hammer Junior was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries. Officials are investigating to determine what caused the crash.

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The State Patrol reports a fatal crash late Monday afternoon in eastern Minnesota. A minivan crossed over the centerline of Highway-48 near Hinckley, smashing head-on into a car. Three people were involved but further information has not yet been released.

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Another popular lake in Minnesota is to be designated as "infested" by the DNR. A conservation officer discovered Eurasian Milfoil rooting in one portion of Morrison County's Shamineau Lake, southeast of Staples. The DNR plans to manage the invasive species, saying attempts to kill it all would not be realistic. Shamineau Lake becomes the 261st Minnesota body of water infested by Eurasian Milfoil.

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A barometer of the economy -- Minnesota added 4,500 construction jobs over the past year. That's according to the Associated Contractors of America, which ranks our state's five-percent gain 13th out of all 50 The District of Columbia and neighboring North Dakota were tops on the list. However, Minnesota was among the states that lost construction jobs between May and June of this year. That total was around 11-hundred -- a drop of one-point-two-percent.

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The Minnesota Department of Commerce cautions consumers about Mini-Med Plans. Commissioner Mike Rothman says often these limited health benefit plans are "bare bones" policies that cover specific expenses and have many more limitations than a comprehensive medical plan. He says people need to look at their individual circumstances, know the limitations and exclusions and decide what's right for them. Rothman says Mini-Med Plans may seem like a bargain, but may not always be the best or only option.

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