You might have to look beyond Lake Superior when curing your Christmas pickled herring. MPR’s Dan Kraker reports on the sorry state of the Superior herring fleet: “…overfishing in parts of Superior regulated by Wisconsin, and a decline in fish survival, have caused cisco numbers on the Minnesota side of the lake to plummet, putting the lake’s small but iconic commercial fishery in jeopardy. … The evidence of that was clear in [fisherman Steve] Dahl’s daily catch, about one box. ‘That’s all we got,’ he said. ‘Yep. You just never know.’ … Commercial fishermen on the North Shore of Lake Superior are busy wrapping up their busiest time of the year. But they know that if things don’t turn around, if solutions aren’t found, their livelihoods could come to an end.” Thanks, Wisconsin.
The Marshall Project picked a heck of day to profile the 4th Precinct occupation. Published just as Minneapolis police were breaking up the protest, Angela Jimenez’s photo essay shows some of the protesters and asked them to “choose a single word to describe how they felt on night 17.” A sample of the responses: Exhausted. Progress. Hopeful.
Strange story out of Rochester. The Rochester Post-Bulletin’s Kay Fate reports, “A Rochester Police officer who was placed on administrative leave Tuesday killed himself Wednesday morning, officials said. … Mitchell Jenson, 49, was found dead of a single gunshot wound to the head about 10:25 a.m. in a pavilion at Essex Park, 5455 W. River Road NW. All indications are that the wound was self-inflicted, said Olmsted County Sheriff Kevin Torgerson. … No information about the allegations that prompted Jenson’s leave were released today; Torgerson and Rochester Police Chief Roger Peterson said the investigation into that part of the case will continue, despite Jenson’s death.”
The Wetterlings speak more about recent developments in the case of their son’s disappearance. The Pioneer Press’ Mary Divine has an interview: “Patty Wetterling is convinced authorities will learn if the man named recently as a ‘person of interest’ in the abduction of her son Jacob was responsible for the crime. … For Daniel James Heinrich ‘to be called a “person of interest,” I mean that’s a strong statement,’ Patty Wetterling said Wednesday in a phone interview in advance of Sunday’s community meeting in Paynesville, Minn., on recent developments in her son’s case. … ‘If this is the guy, we need to have answers,’ she said. ‘Hopeful is a hard word; I couldn’t say that I’m hopeful about this guy. No. But if it is him, I am convinced they’ll find out.’”
In other news…
Sen. Al Franken’s headed to Paris today to talk climate change. [The Hill, by MinnPost alum Devin Henry]
St. Cloud residents are going to have to wait a little longer for their weed emporium to open. [St. Cloud Times]
Vegans fly? Do they know how many birds airplanes kill? “MSP Airport ranks last in U.S. for healthy vegan food options” [Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal]
This is why Milwaukee can’t have nice things. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]
Congrats to L. Russell Waisanen, Mr. Minneapolis Eagle 2016 [Lavender]
