STEWARTVILLE, Minn. — A student is critically injured and a man is dead after a shooting in the parking lot of Stewartville High School on Friday morning.

Olmsted County Sheriff Kevin Torgerson said the shooting happened around 5 a.m. Friday, as the school’s wrestling team was preparing to go to a wrestling meet. According to the team’s schedule, the tournament was in Grand Forks, North Dakota.

“We don’t know anything that led up to this at all, at this point,” Olmsted County Sheriff Kevin Torgerson said during an 11 a.m. press conference Friday.

The names and ages of those involved have not been released as of Friday morning.

“One of the teammates was walking in the parking lot when a gunshot was heard by others,” Torgerson said. “The victim was located on the ground in the parking lot by coaching staff. As other staff and students were looking around at that moment to see what had happened, they heard a second shot.”

Torgerson said the student was taken to Mayo Clinic Hospital-Saint Marys for immediate surgery. He remained in critical, but stable condition.

The adult male was found with a rifle in his hand and an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The sheriff’s office has been in communication with both families involved. Torgerson said both are cooperating with law enforcement.

While around 40 wrestlers and coaches were on the scene at the time, none reported seeing the shooting.

Torgerson said coaches who heard the gunshots responded quickly to render aid to the student.

The students at the scene were held until they could be reunited with their families, which Torgerson said had been completed by 11 a.m.

The sheriff said his agency will continue to lead the investigation, but the department has been in contact with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.

This incident has impacted far more than just the families involved,” Torgerson said.

Classes and other school activities were canceled for Stewartville Public Schools on Friday.

Superintendent Belinda Selfors said the closure was intended to give law enforcement full access to the school and site. She also expressed her appreciation for the work of the Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office, noting it is a “difficult day” for the Stewartville community. She encouraged people to avoid speculating why this happened.

Torgerson, who lives in Stewartville, said it’s understandable that people will talk and support each other during such a challenging time, but he added that speculation can be harmful as the investigation continues.

“The worst thing people can do is just start speculation on this or that, or relationships and this sort of thing,” he said. “That is not going to help anybody, ever.”

He said investigators have talked to all the students and others who were on the scene Friday morning, but much of the evidence remains to be examined.

“All the basic investigative things that need to happen will continue to happen, and if there is some more information in regard to the case, we will certainly let you all know.”

Selfors said she and others from the district remain focused on the safety and well-being of the students. Care and support teams were available Friday, and will be available to students and staff over the weekend and when school resumes on Monday.

“We are here to support our students, our staff and our communities in any way that we can,” Selfors said.

Related Articles

Gov. Walz appoints fraud prevention director, announces program integrity push

Sherrone Moore charged with stalking, home invasion after being fired as Michigan football coach

House Democrats release photos of Trump, Clinton and Andrew from Epstein’s estate

Ex-Oakdale officer found guilty of misconduct, not guilty of harassment for calls to surveillance subject

Driver charged in fiery, fatal St. Paul crash says she was distracted by fast food bag

The fantasy football playoffs have arrived, and while star receiver Justin Jefferson is just as disappointed with his lack of production this season as the people who drafted him, he couldn’t care less about those internet championships on the line over the next few weeks.

No matter how many people slide into his direct message to voice their discontent.

“It’s very hard not to see it, because we’re in the day and age of social media,” Jefferson said with a wry smile earlier this week at TCO Performance Center. “That’s definitely not my favorite conversation.”

The Vikings’ offensive struggles this season have had a residual effect on the production of their skill position players within the fantasy football realm. That has resulted in many of them having to navigate a large amount of hate on social media.

“They want to comment on all of my pictures,” Jefferson said. “They want to be in DMs and all of that stuff.”

It’s nearly impossible for Jefferson to ignore the hateful rhetoric that comes across his page. He’s the face of the franchise with 1.9 million followers on Instagram and the various brand deals that require his online presence. He can’t completely divorce himself from the platform.

The same goes for veteran running back Aaron Jones. He has 1 million followers on Instagram and enjoys engaging with fans on social media whenever he can. He doesn’t even mind some of the banter he encounters in response to fantasy football.

“I like it,” Jones said. “It can be fun. I think the problem is a lot of people get lost in it. That’s where it can get messed up.”

The logistics of fantasy football are rather straight forward for those that might not be familiar with the concept.

A fantasy football “owner” builds a team by drafting skill position players, then sets a starting lineup on a weekly basis that goes up against other teams in their league. The scoring system is also fairly intuitive as skilled position players earn points based on production. The goal is to score as may points as possible.

Fantasy football has been a net positive for the league in the aggregate.

More than a decade ago, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell spoke about fantasy football, noting the impact it has had on growing the game. He added the existence of fantasy football inherently creates more interest for a longer period of time.

Even if the Vikings are destroying the Commanders like they were last week, for example, many fans are going to stay tuned in until the very end because of fantasy football implications.

There were nearly 30 million people playing fantasy football across the United States in 2022, according to an article from USA Today, and that number has steadily increased since then.

That it’s been good for business isn’t lost on tight end T.J. Hockenson. He referenced how there are more eyes on the NFL than ever before. There’s an argument to be made that the positives of fantasy football outweigh the negatives.

“It can get a little bit out of hand,” Hockenson said. “We’re humans and some people don’t look at us like that.”

As he reflected on some of the hate he’s dealt with on social media, Jones emphasized there’s a line that gets crossed far too often from fantasy football owners. They say whatever they want while hiding behind a keyboard.

“I’m sitting here like, ‘Where’s the respect?’” Jones said. “We don’t come to them at their job and criticize. I know that’s part of being in the NFL and that’s what comes with it. It doesn’t make it any easier to deal with when it’s actually happening.”

The comments occasionally gets so out of pocket that Jones feels the need to respond.

“I try not to stoop to their level,” Jones said. “I can’t help myself.”

He also consistently has to remind himself to keep everything in perspective.

“They aren’t at this level,” Jones said. “They can’t do what we do.”

As for how running back Jordan Mason has handled it, he keeps a low enough profile that he’s managed to block it out as much as possible.

“My friends do all that fantasy football stuff,” Mason said. “They know not to talk to me about all that.”

Though he made it clear he doesn’t condone the hate being spread on social media, right tackle Brian O’Neill offered a different perspective, while also acknowledging that he doesn’t have to deal with the backlash of fantasy football by nature of his position.

“At the core of it, we’re in a revenue sharing model. So the more people that care about the NFL and the more people that can interact with the game in ways like that, the better the league does, and, in turn, the better we all do,” O’Neill said. “I know it’s easy for me to say that being immune to all that stuff. Would guys want a lower salary cap if people didn’t care as much? I’d guess probably not.”

He’s seen the impact of fantasy football on a personal level.

“My wife had a bunch of friends in town,” O’Neill said. “They play fantasy football. And before they started playing fantasy football, they weren’t fans of the NFL. It helps get more eyes on us. A rising tide lifts all boats.”

As the fantasy football playoffs begin, the numbers speak for themselves when looking specifically at the Vikings. No skill position player on the roster is currently in the Top 20 of scoring at their position.

Jones is ranked as the No. 47 running back with 82.6 points, Mason is the No. 33 running back with 114.5 points, Jefferson is the No. 25 receiver with 157.4 points and Hockenson is the No. 22 tight end with 101 points.

Not that any of them are thinking about fantasy football or the hate on social media as the Vikings prepare for their primetime game against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night at AT&T Stadium.

“I kind of look at it as motivation,” Jefferson said. “Just seeing the comments that they leave and seeing the opinions that they have. That’s something that motivates me. To go out there and shut them up.”

Related Articles

The Loop NFL Picks: Week 15

Vikings star Justin Jefferson still cares about reaching 1,000 yards

J.J. McCarthy finally looked the part for the Vikings. Is it sustainable?

The Loop Fantasy Football Report Week 15: Some subs needed for fantasy playoff relief

Playoffs?! Here’s exactly what has to happen for the Vikings to make it

Ramsey County Commissioner Rafael Ortega, the longest serving member of the county board, informed supporters on Friday that he would not run for re-election next November, ending his 31-year career in county politics.

His decision comes about three weeks after Rebecca Noecker, the president of the St. Paul City Council, informed key contacts that she planned to run for his District 5 seat on the county board, and three days after she made her campaign announcement official.

Noecker on Friday said she was grateful for Ortega’s years of service. “Thirty years is remarkable,” she said.

Ortega, who is currently the board chair, became the first person of color elected to the county board in 1994. He has frequently served as either board chair or chair of the county’s regional rail authority, which played key roles in advocating for a second daily Amtrak train to Chicago, the renovation of the downtown St. Paul Union Depot transit hub and the launch of Metro Transit’s Green Line light rail service.

He had said last month he planned to seek re-election despite facing a challenge from Noecker, but he would wait to make his decision official between Thanksgiving and Christmas. He’s since had time to reflect on his options.

“It is with mixed feelings that I share that I will not be seeking reelection next year,” wrote Ortega to key contacts on Friday. “This was not an easy decision for me because we are working on so many important, exciting things this year and I would love to see them through. But I’m lucky to be healthy and I am excited to spend time with my mother, my kids and my grandkids – four generations of Ortegas – as well as family and friends around the world. And I know time is precious.”

Ortega said the county, which launched its own Housing and Redevelopment Authority levy in 2023, has funded construction of more than 2,000 housing units and invested more than $50 million in affordable housing in just two years.

“With your help, we built the Union Depot, the Green Line, and the Gold Line transit ways,” he wrote. “We built the Roseville Library, the busiest in the state, to the highest environmental standards possible.”

With Ortega’s urging, the county in 2013 purchased the 427-acre Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant, the former grounds of a military munitions factory, for the future Rice Creek Commons development in Arden Hills, which is still largely in its planning stages. The Micro Control Company broke ground there in April for a new headquarters within a 40-acre parcel on the north end of the site.

In 2015, the county began clearing the former county jail property and the neighboring West Publishing offices along Kellogg Boulevard in downtown St. Paul to make room for the future RiversEdge development, which has yet to get off the ground.

Ortega said he looked forward to seeing both projects someday “bring jobs, opportunity and vitality to Ramsey County and to expand the tax base.”

Had he stayed in the running for re-election, Ortega would have likely faced tough questions about a long-planned streetcar or bus rapid transit system along West Seventh Street, which the county abandoned last year following years of debate over the proper transit mode and alignment.

The county instead redirected some $730 million in planned funding from its half-cent sales tax to other road and transit projects, most of them disconnected from the corridor, leaving the long-awaited reconstruction of West Seventh Street further in doubt.

Related Articles

Rebecca Noecker officially announces for Ramsey County Board

St. Paul City Council President Rebecca Noecker to run for Ramsey County Board

Ramsey County to pay $875,000 to Little Canada foster parents in data practices dispute

Ramsey County Board sets tax levy hike at 9.75%, but may try to lower it

Ramsey County: Michael Soto named director of policy, administrative strategy

The seven-member county board will vote on Tuesday on a $929 million budget proposal, which includes a 9.75% increase to the property tax levy.

La primera reunión del Comité de Immigration Justice (Justicia Migratoria), uno de los 17 comités que el alcalde electo ha reunido para asesorarse durante la transición a la alcaldía, está prevista para finales de esta semana. Este comité trabajará “para desarrollar la mejor vía para defender y reforzar nuestras políticas de santuario”, según ha declarado un portavoz.

El alcalde electo, Zohran Mamdani, anunció el mes pasado su equipo de transición. (X/ZohranKMamdani)

Este artículo se publicó originalmente en inglés el 11 de diciembre. Traducido por Daniel Parra. Read the English version here.

El comité de transición del alcalde electo ha recaudado $3 millones de dólares y se está preparando para comenzar a debatir políticas.

Alrededor de 400 expertos y defensores, que forman parte de los 17 comités, están trabajando con el equipo de transición del alcalde electo Zohran Mamdani y ofrecerán recomendaciones políticas y sugerirán nombramientos para la próxima administración. 

Tras semanas de planificación se espera que la primera reunión del Comité de Immigration Justice (Justicia Migratoria) tenga lugar a finales de esta semana. Estará dirigido por Grace Bonilla, directora ejecutiva de la organización sin ánimo de lucro United Way of New York City.

 
“A través del Comité de Justicia para los Inmigrantes, estamos involucrando a líderes del gobierno local y estatal, organizaciones sin ánimo de lucro, sindicatos, el mundo académico, empresas y otros sectores para desarrollar el mejor camino a seguir para defender y reforzar nuestras políticas santuario”, afirmó Monica Klein, portavoz del equipo de transición, en un comunicado.

La plataforma de campaña de Mamdani incluía el compromiso de reforzar el conjunto de leyes santuario de Nueva York, que la ciudad comenzó a promulgar desde finales de la década de los ochenta. 

Estas leyes estipulan las circunstancias en las cuales la policía de Nueva York y el Departamento Correccional de la ciudad pueden detener personas por solicitud del Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas de Estados Unidos (ICE por sus siglas en inglés), y cómo y cuándo las agencias gubernamentales de la ciudad pueden interactuar y compartir información con ICE.

Los partidarios de las políticas santuario afirman que estas ayudan a garantizar que los inmigrantes neoyorquinos no tengan que vivir en la sombra, especialmente a la hora de denunciar delitos y otros abusos. Sin embargo, la administración Trump ha puesto en la mira a las ciudades con leyes santuario, por ser un obstáculo para llevar a cabo su agenda migratoria, llegando incluso a demandar a la ciudad de Nueva York en julio.

Este año, con el regreso de Donald Trump a la Casa Blanca, las detenciones de inmigrantes por parte de ICE han aumentado en la ciudad de Nueva York y en todo el país. El lunes, el alcalde electo Mamdani utilizó su plataforma para explicar a los residentes cuáles son sus derechos en caso de encontrarse con ICE. 

Según un informe de New York Immigration Coalition, el número de “detenciones comunitarias”—en las que se detiene a personas en sus hogares, en el trabajo o en las calles— ha aumentado en todo el estado desde que Trump regresó a la presidencia.

Este tipo de detenciones son ahora cinco veces más frecuentes que las detenciones realizadas en colaboración con la policía local o estatal, o las detenciones con otros grupos de trabajo, que eran tácticas más comunes bajo la administración Biden, según el informe.

Defensores y miembros del Concejo de la ciudad de los barrios con una alta concentración de inmigrantes han observado un aumento de la actividad de ICE en sus distritos.

El comité de Immigration Justice está formado por 25 líderes de los principales grupos de defensa de inmigrantes (como Murad Awawdeh, de New York Immigration Coalition; Natalia Aristizabal, de Make the Road, y Amaha Kassa, de African Communities Together); proveedores de servicios jurídicos (como Melissa Chua, de NYLAG, y Rosa Cohen-Cruz, de Bronx Defenders); organizaciones de base (como Fahd Ahmed, de DRUM, y Adama Bah, de Afrikana); líderes religiosos (como Imam Shamsi Ali, del Centro Musulmán de Jamaica, y la rabina Rachel Timoner, de la Congregación Beth Elohim), así como Bitta Mostofi, excomisionada de la Oficina del Alcalde para Asuntos Migratorios (MOIA por sus siglas en inglés).

Un portavoz de Mamdani no quiso hacer comentarios sobre quién está siendo considerado para dirigir MOIA bajo la nueva administración.

Aristizabal, subdirectora de Make the Road NY, dijo que planea impulsar dos prioridades en nombre de la organización: el cumplimiento de las leyes santuario por parte del gobierno de la ciudad y una línea de atención directa de la ciudad para que los residentes reporten las actividades de ICE.

“Queremos asegurarnos de que las políticas santuario sean claras para las agencias”, dijo Aristizabal. 

El Departamento de Investigaciones (Department of Investigations) de la ciudad descubrió recientemente que un investigador del Departamento de Correccionales compartió en dos ocasiones información —violando las leyes santuario— sobre dos personas detenidas en la cárcel municipal con agentes del Departamento de Seguridad Nacional.

New York Lawyers for the Public Interest (NYLPI por sus siglas en inglés) creó un  “memorándum de transición” para Mamdani, en el que se pide al nuevo alcalde que se asegure que todas las agencias cumplan con las normas existentes. El grupo apoya la aprobación del proyecto de ley Intro. 214, que permitiría a los residentes demandar a los funcionarios locales que violen las leyes de santuario al colaborar con ICE para detener a personas.

La segunda idea sobre la que Aristizábal quiere llamar la atención del comité es la creación de una línea de atención directa para que los neoyorquinos reporten las actividades de ICE. Esto podría ser similar a las redes de respuesta rápida establecidas en varios condados de California, dijo, y a la red “Eyes on ICE” (Ojos sobre el ICE) de Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights de Illinois, un sistema de alertas por mensaje de texto para los miembros de la comunidad sobre presencia y actividades de ICE en la zona. 

“Una vez que se informa a la línea directa, se conectan con una unidad de respuesta rápida que puede verificar lo que está sucediendo sobre el terreno. Se trata de una estructura y un recurso para poder rastrear cómo actúa ICE en esos estados”, explicó Ariztizabal. “Creo que es el momento de que Nueva York lo ponga en marcha”.

La administración Trump ha criticado las herramientas de alerta y notificación pública de presencia de ICE por considerarlas una amenaza para la seguridad de los agentes federales y, recientemente, ha conseguido que el gigante tecnológico Apple elimine las aplicaciones que recopilan este tipo de información.

Para ponerse en contacto con el reportero de esta noticia, escriba a Daniel@citylimits.org. Para ponerse en contacto con la editora, escriba a Jeanmarie@citylimits.org.

The post Equipo de transición de inmigración de Mamdani se centrará en reforzar leyes santuario de la ciudad appeared first on City Limits.