By 2028, Woodbury will have a long-term solution to removing PFAS from its drinking water as construction of a new treatment plant is in the works.

“It is the largest capital improvement project in the history of the city of Woodbury,” assistant public works director Jim Westerman said.

The $330 million plant will connect all 20 of Woodbury’s groundwater wells through 17 miles of pipe to a central location for treatment. The plant will treat for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances using granular activated carbon, which can remove PFAS chemicals to ensure safe drinking water, according to Westerman.

The scope of the project means there will be some challenges for residents and visitors during construction.

“This effort is going to have significant disruption to the city of Woodbury and the community at large because of those pipeline projects and the traffic impacts,” Westerman said.

Roads closures from April through June include Dale Road, Interlachen Parkway, Pioneer Drive, Bailey Road and Arbor Drive, according to the city of Woodbury.

PFAS in the wells

Other communities like St. Paul and Minneapolis rely on surface water or a combination of surface water and groundwater, while Woodbury’s municipal water system comes from a 100% groundwater-based system, Westerman said.

Nine of the city’s wells, which have had health advisories placed on them by the Minnesota Department of Public Health, are being treated for PFAS by four temporary plants, the first of which was constructed in 2020 and has since expanded.

The new, 32 million gallon per day treatment plant will add two new wells to the system and is being built on 22 acres of land south of Hargis Parkway and east of Radio Drive. The new system will replace the temporary plants as a long-term solution for addressing water contamination.

More than 90% of funding for the permanent plant and pipelines will come from a 2018 PFAS settlement reached between 3M and the state of Minnesota. Additional funding for the project will come from federal sources and the city’s water utility fees.

New standards

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A number of other cities in the east metro are stepping up efforts to handle the “forever chemicals” after the EPA finalized new standards last year for PFAS in drinking water. While some communities are able to comply by shutting off certain wells or blending water with cleaner wells, others including Hastings, South St. Paul and Stillwater will have to install costly new filtration systems to remove the chemicals.

Westerman said he asks community members to have patience during Woodbury’s construction and understand that the ultimate goal is to provide everyone with high-quality drinking water.

For more information on PFAS and Woodbury’s water treatment program, go to woodburymn.gov and click on “Water Treatment.”

JONESBORO, Ga. (AP) — Police in Georgia and Florida and searching for a convicted killer who was mistakenly released from a county jail south of Atlanta, authorities said.

Kathan Guzman, who is in his early 20s, admitted strangling his girlfriend, 19-year-old Delila Grayson, who was found dead in a bathtub in August 2022, according to police in Clayton County, Georgia.

Guzman was freed about two weeks ago, when jail workers mistakenly released him after not reading paperwork carefully, Clayton County Sheriff Levon Allen told WSB-TV. The employees failed to see that Guzman had been convicted of murder and assault by strangulation and had been sentenced to life in prison, the sheriff said.

Allen said authorities believe he may have gone back to Osceola County, Florida, south of Orlando.

That’s where the victim’s mother, Christina Grayson, lives. She’s terrified that Guzman will come after the family for their role in the trial, WFTV-TV reports. Her family is sleeping in shifts so that someone is awake at all times, she told the Orlando station.

“I feel like I’m a sitting duck,” she said.

Osceola County deputies are patrolling her neighborhood as the search continues, she said.

“Our deputies are aware of the situation and are in contact with Georgia authorities,” the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. “Our primary goal remains the safety of our community.”

Guzman told someone after his mistaken release that “God is good” and that he believes it was the result of a higher power, the Clayton County sheriff told WSB.

By MARC LEVY, Associated Press

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A federal judge has rejected President Donald Trump ‘s effort to dismiss a defamation lawsuit against him filed by the men formerly known as the Central Park Five who were exonerated after spending more than a decade in prison for the 1989 rape and beating of a woman who was jogging.

U.S. District Judge Wendy Beetlestone in Philadelphia denied Trump’s motion to dismiss in a brief Thursday night order.

The five men the sued Trump in the midst of last fall’s presidential election campaign, accusing him of making “false and defamatory statements” about them during the Sept. 10 debate in Philadelphia with then-Vice President Kamala Harris.

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Trump misstated key facts of the case when Harris brought up the matter, saying “They admitted, they said, they pled guilty. And I said, ’well, if they pled guilty they badly hurt a person, killed a person ultimately. And if they pled guilty — then they pled we’re not guilty,’” Trump said.

The men — Yusef Salaam, Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Raymond Santana and Korey Wise — never pleaded guilty; they were convicted after jury trials. Also, no victim died.

In a statement, their lawyer, Shanin Specter, said they are “gratified by the Court’s ruling and thorough analysis and look forward to discovery, trial and the ultimate vindication of these five fine men.”

Trump’s lawyer did not immediately respond to an inquiry Friday.

The men had asked for compensatory and punitive damages, saying Trump had knowingly defamed them, purposefully made false statements about them and sought to inflict severe emotional distress on them.

Judge Beetlestone’s order dismissed one of the claims, for intentional infliction of emotional distress.

In the request to dismiss the case, Trump’s lawyer had said the president’s statements were protected under Pennsylvania laws that grant civil immunity over statements made on a “matter of public concern.”

The request to dismiss also said Trump’s statements were “substantially true,” that he didn’t dispute the men were ultimately exonerated and that he had intended to portray his thinking in 1989 when, following the men having confessed, Trump purchased a full-page ad in The New York Times calling for the reinstatement of the death penalty.

At the time, many in New York believed Trump’s ad was akin to calling for the teens to be executed.

The five men had been teenagers when they were accused of the rape and beating of a white woman jogging in New York City’s Central Park. The five, who are Black and Latino, said they confessed to the crimes under duress. They later recanted, pleading not guilty in court, and were later convicted after jury trials. Their convictions were vacated in 2002 after another person confessed to the crime.

When the lawsuit was filed, Specter said Trump “defamed them in front of 67 million people, which has caused them to seek to clear their names all over again.”

A Trump campaign spokesperson attacked it at the time as a “frivolous election interference lawsuit.”

By EMILY WANG FUJIYAMA, Associated Press

BEIJING (AP) — A reordering of global trading relationships could be underway as the world’s two largest economies clash and relations spiral into a trade war. On Friday, Beijing raised its tariffs on U.S. goods from 84% to 125%, starting Saturday, after the U.S. pushed its tariffs on Chinese products to a total of 145%.

Early on, China retaliated against imports of American farm products like beef and pork and imposed export controls on strategically vital minerals. It has targeted big companies like DuPont China and Google with antitrust investigations and reduced the number of Hollywood films shown in Chinese cinemas.

Experts say there are still more options if U.S. President Donald Trump keeps upping the ante. Here’s the latest on what China has done, and what could come next:

What has China done so far?

Apart from higher tariffs, export controls and retaliation against specific U.S. companies, Beijing also has filed lawsuits at the World Trade Organization.

It has issued a travel advisory telling its citizens to evaluate risks of visiting the United States in a time of deteriorating relations.

The China Film Administration, which approves imports of Hollywood films, limiting foreign films to 34 a year, said it would “appropriately reduce” the import of American movies. China requires that revenues from films shown be shared and is Hollywood’s second largest market.

China is also reaching out to other countries on dealing with Trump’s tariffs and trying to shore up support over trade. This week, Commerce Minister Wang Wentao spoke with his counterparts at the European Union, the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Saudi Arabia and South Africa. Next week, President Xi Jinping will travel to Vietnam, Malaysia and Cambodia, a trip that his Foreign Ministry said would inject “new momentum into regional and global peace and stability.”

Is China going to raise tariffs further? What else can it do?

China on Friday raised tariffs on U.S. goods to 125% from 84%, starting Saturday. “If the US continues to play the tariff numbers game, China will ignore it” the Commerce Ministry said in a statement. It left room for further retaliation. “If the U.S. insists on continuing to substantially infringe on China’s interests, China will resolutely counterattack and fight to the end,” it said.

The Chinese economy was already sluggish before Trump began his tariffs war, and analysts expect Beijing to look for ways to help allay the pain for the economy.

Premier Li Qiang has met with business leaders to signal government support for dealing with “all kinds of uncertainties,” promising “incremental policies according to the needs of the situation.”

State media have hinted that the Chinese central bank could cut interest rates and banks’ reserve requirements to free up more cash for lending.

Chinese sovereign wealth funds, the Central Huijin, and other state institutions have stepped in as part of what’s known as the “national team” to support the markets, buying up shares and raising their holdings of ETFs.

China’s yuan could weaken, making its exports more affordable, but there are limits to how far Beijing is willing to depreciate the currency, which would weaken investment returns and strain markets further.

“After the first round of the trade war starting in 2018, the Chinese leadership has learned how to deal with Trump and his team” says Chen Zhiwu, professor at the Hong Kong University Business School. “There has been a lot of preparation for this type of trade war to come up,” he said.

Will there be talks between US and China?

Experts are watching for signs of whether negotiations might happen. Chinese officials have repeatedly said they are open to talks, but it’s unclear whether Beijing is open to making any concessions.

“The door is open for talks,” said Commerce Ministry spokesperson He Yongqian, “but dialogue must be conducted on an equal footing and on the basis of mutual respect; and China will fight to the end.”

President Xi managed to limit the damage from Trump’s first term, when he launched tariff hikes and other sanctions to try to win more favorable trade terms for U.S. products. As head of the ruling Communist Party, he has won praise from Trump himself for his stance as a strongman and has plenty of experience in political maneuvering.

“China is unlikely to change its strategy: stand firm, absorb pressure, and let Trump overplay his hand” writes Daniel Russel, vice president of international security and diplomacy at the New York-based Asia Society Policy Institute. “Beijing believes Trump sees concessions as a weakness, so giving ground only invites more pressure.”

How might the US tariffs affect Chinese companies?

Some Chinese companies that saw the first trade war during Trump’s first administration have buffered the impact by selling to other markets and adjusting their supply chains. Many have absorbed higher costs and accepted let profit margins shrink further. Many exporters say they are still watching to see what comes next before deciding on whether to move or just quit.

A large share of Chinese exports to the U.S. are relatively cheap, low-tech items like toys, furniture, appliances and apparel. But China also imports many high-end products and components such as semiconductors, aircraft and aircraft parts, pharmaceuticals and industrial machines.

China has invested heavily in developing advanced technologies such as the design and manufacturing of computer chips to help reduce its reliance on imported technology. Yet it lags behind in key areas. Across-the-board U.S. tariffs on higher-end products and semiconductors will hurt.

Associated Press writer Fu Ting in Washington contributed to this report.