Minnesota News Roundup: Franken, CLC President sound off in support of State of Union

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WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The focus on jobs and the economy in President Barack Obama's State of the Union address is the proper way to move the country forward, according to Minnesota D-F-L U-S Senator Al Franken. In particular, Franken agrees that workforce development is the key to increasing employment and rescuing the struggling lower and middle classes, and the government needs to do more to train people to do the jobs that are, "Sitting there, waiting to be filled. Central Lakes College President Larry Lundblad was Franken's State of the Union guest, and he believes higher education can play a huge role in the economic recovery by providing the education and training workers need to compete.

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A Missouri man wanted on a first degree criminal sexual conduct charge in Ramsey County is dead after a standoff with police in St. Paul The North Star Fugitive Task Force cornered 32-year-old Alden Anderson in the basement of a home, and that's when investigators say he stabbed a police K-9 several times. A statement says the safety of the responding officers was threatened, and they fatally shot the suspect. Kody, who had been a police dog for seven years, died on the way to a veterinary hospital. Four other St. Paul police dogs have died on duty.

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A person of interest in the disappearance of a Chisago woman has pled guilty to an unrelated crime. Aaron Schnagl admitted to having drugs at the home where Danielle Jelinek was last seen. on December 9. Investigators say her purse, shoes, and cell phone were discovered inside Schnagl's home, along with 12 pounds of marijuana, cocaine and pills. He's been kept in the Anoka County Jail since, because the drug find violated Schnagl's probation on a earlier drug conviction. The plea deal means he will serve a minimum of four-and-a-half years in prison. Search teams have covered an 8 mile radius around Schnagl's home in the past two months, including frozen lakes, but have found no sign of Jelinek.

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The brother of a now-dead man who made headlines when he killed himself and his two young sons in Washington a year ago apparently killed himself this week by jumping from a downtown Minneapolis high-rise. The Hennepin County medical Examiner says 30-year-old Michael Powell died when he leapt from his 26-story condo building. He strongly defended his brother Josh, who killed himself and his two sons in an intentionally set house fire in Graham, Washington last February. Michael Powell was in the middle of a legal battle in federal court with Susan Powell's parents over $1.5 million in insurance policies issued to Josh Powell, 7-year-old Charlie, and 5-year-old Braden. Michael's father Steve was convicted in May 2012 of 14 counts of voyeurism for taking illicit photos of two young neighbor girls.

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