‘Tweak’ to state funding of massive Mayo project needs to happen ASAP

That “tweak” to the enormous Mayo expansion plan in Rochester will need to happen soon. At MPR, Catharine Richert says, “State legislators likely will have to go back to the drawing board to adjust the financing plan for Mayo Clinic’s expansion, one of the biggest economic development projects in Minnesota’s history. … Rochester city officials say the unclear language in the law is creating problems for their upcoming budget, which will be written and approved in December. So far, the city plans to allocate only $3 million to staff costs associated with the medical center. Money for development projects is on hold until the city has reassurances that the state funding will come through, Assistant City Administrator Gary Neumann said.”

What will I do with those three hours of my life every day? At the CBC News site it says, “Prince fans looking for a social media fix of the Purple One are finding themselves in the cold after artist-related internet outlets were quietly deactivated. A little over a year since the funky American singer-songwriter posted his first tweet, the Twitter accounts for the artist’s band 3rd Eye Girl (@3rdEyeGirl) and the New Power Generation account (@NPGOffical) have been deleted. Prince’s official Facebook page and Instagram (Princestagram) accounts have also been shut down. And, as of Wednesday morning, all the videos on the 3rd Eye Girl YouTube account have either been pulled or been made private.”

Meanwhile, our other major musical icon was performing to a very small crowd in Philadelphia. Daniel Nussbaum at, uh, Breitbart, says, “On Sunday afternoon, [Bob Dylan] and his touring band performed a concert at the 2,509-seat Philadelphia Academy of Music. However, there was only one person in attendance: … The exclusive concert was reportedly conducted as part of the Swedish film series, Experiment Ensam (Experiment Alone), where people are filmed experiencing events that are usually attended by large crowds. According to Rolling Stone, previous films in the series explored solitary people at comedy clubs and karaoke bars. Dylan was apparently receptive to the idea of the film series and received an ‘undisclosed’ amount of money to participate. The crowd size wasn’t the only thing different about the performance; Dylan reportedly did not play any of his own original songs, opting instead for covers of Buddy Holly’s ‘Heartbeat,’ Fats Domino’s ‘Blueberry Hill’, Chuck Willis’s ‘It’s Too Late,’ and an unknown blues jam that closed the show.” What? Nothing from his Christmas album?

Somebody needs to get a little less generic, or lighten up. Says Dave Kolpack of the AP, “An ongoing spat between North Dakota and Minnesota real estate companies with similar names and signage is playing out in federal court. The dispute involves The Real Estate Company Inc., of Dickinson, North Dakota, and The Real Estate Company of Detroit Lakes Inc., of Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. In July 2012, the Minnesota business asked permission of the Dickinson group — and offered a bottle of Scotch — to allow one of its agents to work under the name in the Fargo area. The Dickinson company rejected the request and demanded that its counterpart change its logo.”

So next time, don’t drive straight into the mob. In the Strib, Paul Walsh says, “The driver who lurched into a south Minneapolis intersection packed with Ferguson protesters was ‘attempting to flee from the mob’ when he ran over and slightly injured a 16-year-old girl as others were atop the hood of his car, police said Wednesday. The driver, a 40-year-old man from St. Paul, was questioned, and Minneapolis police said Wednesday that the case ‘remains under investigation.’ The man was not arrested, and no charges have been filed. … aerial video from KSTP-TV, Channel 5, shows that the driver had paused behind a vehicle stopped in front of it, and then steered around that vehicle and drove slowly into the crowd that was blocking the intersection. There were three people on the hood of his car as he knocked down the girl.”

Once was enough, thank you. The AP says, “A judge has rejected a request from the widow of ‘American Sniper’ author Chris Kyle to order a new trial or set aside a jury’s verdict in favor of former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura. … U.S. District Judge Richard Kyle, who also presided over that trial, wrote in a decision filed Wednesday that the trial was fair and the verdicts supported by ‘substantial evidence.’”

News flash. Civilized conflict resolution in Wisconsin. From Eric Peterson at WLUK-TV we learn, “Kameron Jorgenson,11, wounded a nine-point buck while hunting with his father, but when they tracked the deer to a neighbor’s property, a picture was all Jorgenson was able to keep. … The Jorgensons tracked the buck through the woods toward the adjoining property when they say they heard two shots. ‘We could see that the other landowner on his land, and we got up as far as the fence line. He came down and met us by the fence post,’ said Jorgenson. ‘He’ is landowner Randy Heyrman. Heyrman did not want to go on camera, but he told FOX 11 he saw the deer too. Heyrman took a picture to show where he says the deer was wounded in the leg. Heyrman says he shot twice from his deer stand to finish off the animal. With the deer dead, and the two hunters deadlocked as to who would keep the buck, they both agreed to settle it with the flip of a coin.” You gotta read it to find out who won.

Likewise: MPR reports, “The teenager who severely beat former Hennepin County Board Chair Mark Andrew last year will receive 14 weeks of intensive therapy and a year-long immersion in an arts program of her choice. Deea LeShawn Elliot, who is now 18, pleaded guilty to first degree assault for attacking Andrew last December with a metal baton after an accomplice stole his cell phone. She could have been sent to prison for decades. But at Andrew’s request, a judge agreed Tuesday to a special sentence that includes no jail time.” Cool. Let’s hope she appreciates the break she’s been cut.

Finally, the chief of police in Milwaukee is pretty well-established as a quote machine, although not the sort that makes his constituents proud. His latest? Talking to “Fox and Friends” about Milwaukee protests on the Ferguson decision, David Paulsen of the Journal-Sentinel writes, “Milwaukee Police Chief Edward Flynn has been getting a lot of attention nationally for a Journal Sentinel video of his comments regarding race and crime in the city and the killing of a 5-year-old girl. On Wednesday, he appeared on Fox News’ morning program, ‘Fox & Friends,’ for a brief interview. … The protest in Milwaukee was conducted with few major disturbances, though police said a sergeant and an officer suffered minor injuries trying to stop some protesters from entering the Bradley Center unlawfully. Suspects are being sought. Flynn said most Milwaukee residents are interested in working with police to combat violence. He suggested its typically out-of-towners and ‘hipsters’ who fail to heed requests from the victim’s family and from police to keep protests peaceful and respectful. ‘Their last experience with the police was in their DARE class,’ Flynn told Fox News from the WITI-TV newsroom in Milwaukee, estimating that half of the protesters Tuesday night were from out of town.” I just knew there was a good reason to fear “hipsters.”