Legislative committee signs off on payments for wrongly convicted

by MinnPost staff 04/13/201604/13/2016

Hard to put a price on lost years of one’s life. MPR’s Matt Sepic reports: “Three Minnesotans who were wrongfully convicted of crimes and later exonerated are a step closer to getting money from the state. … A legislative committee unanimously signed off on payments to Michael Hansen, Roger Lee Olsen, and Koua Fong Lee Tuesday. Altogether the men are seeking nearly $1.8 million. The three are the first to make claims under a compensation bill lawmakers passed two years ago.”

Always get a warrant. The Star Tribune’s Dennis Anderson and Tony Kennedy write: “A west-central Minnesota judge has tossed out the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources’ highest-profile deer-poaching bust in recent memory, saying a GPS device that conservation officers attached to the suspect’s pickup was illegal. … DNR officers had obtained a ‘tracking order’ to surreptitiously attach an electronic gadget to Joshua Dwight Liebl’s truck at his home in Dawson, Minn., on Oct. 8, 2014. … But that order was insufficient, District Judge Thomas Van Hon ruled Monday, saying a search warrant was needed instead.”

That’s dedication. The Pioneer Press’ Andy Greder writes: “When Wes Burdine and Lydia Garver bought their first home in St. Paul’s Midway neighborhood in March, neighbors already knew two salient facts about their young family. … First, they knew the married couple has 17-month-old twins. … Second? ‘They all apparently heard that we liked soccer,’ Burdine said. … Burdine loves soccer, and the location of their four-bedroom home on Charles Avenue was based on three factors: finding an affordable neighborhood as first-time buyers, proximity to light-rail transit and being within walking distance of Minnesota United FC’s proposed $150 million soccer stadium near Snelling and University avenues.”

This feels like a stretch. KMSP’s Maury Glover reports: “From polkas to waltzes, you can hear accordions across all musical genres. A St. Paul music store claims the centuries-old instrument is seeing resurgence in popularity. … ‘It’s very versatile, accordions are used in every culture you can imagine,’ Ken Mahler, owner of Mahler Music Center, said. … The squeeze box has been Mahler’s main squeeze since he first learned how to play as a teen.”