No problems found in check on Minnesota voting machine tabulations

At MPR News, Kirsti Marohn says, “Post-election hand counts of ballots that Minnesota counties are required to conduct did not uncover problems with vote-counting machines. Counties are required by law to hand-count ballots in a few randomly chosen precincts after the election. … Administrative services director Deborah Erickson said about 10 people observed the three-hour process, which didn’t uncover any problems. Erickson said two ballots weren’t counted by the machines because the voter did not mark their ballot correctly, either because they filled in ovals for two candidates and crossed one out, or because they crossed out a candidate’s name.”

In the Strib David Chanen writes, “A Minneapolis apartment building owner had a second vacant property damaged by fire last week, a few months after the first incident. On Saturday, the Minneapolis Fire Department spent hours fighting a large fire at 2313 Lyndale Avenue S., in a building owned by C. David George. In September, a condemned building in Loring Park owned by George was also damaged by a fire. Nobody was hurt in either fire, but officials said squatters inhabited the buildings. In the Lyndale Avenue fire, a person jumped from the second floor to escape. According to county property records, the Loring Park building, at 200 Oak Grove St., was valued at $3.5 million.”

In The Daily Mail Aneeta Bohle reports, “Delta Airline pilots can expect a hefty pay rise of 34 percent over the next three years, amid fears that the push for better pay and benefits will be felt among customers through higher priced tickets. According to estimates from a website that prepares pilots for interviews, pilot pay at Delta Air Lines ranges from $66,853.80 per year for a new first officer up to $257,657.40 per year for a senior captain. That pay rise could mean the equivalent of $89,584.10 for new first officers and $345,260.92 from 2022 to 2025, which is nearly $90,000 more than what top pilots are earning at present.”

At Fox News Ryan Gaydos writes, “The Minnesota high school Class 3A football championship came down to the wire Saturday and ended with an incredible Hail Mary pass and lateral for the win. New London-Spicer was down 26-21 against Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton with 4 seconds remaining in the game. New London-Spicer quarterback Blake Schultz needed a miracle from their opponent’s 48-yard line. Schultz wasn’t under any pressure when he cocked back and fired the football 34 yards to Grant Paffrath, who was met by defenders from Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton. Paffrath somehow found Brycen Christensen in front of him and lateralled the ball to him. Christensen ran the ball and beat one defender to pick up the touchdown and give New London-Spicer the win.”

For WCCO-TV, Ren Clayton says, “The Metro ‘D Line’ launched on Saturday. It’s the area’s newest bus rapid transit line, running from Mall of America to Brooklyn Center, with stops in Minneapolis, Richfield and Bloomington. ‘One in four who live along this line do not have access to personal transportation. That’s a big deal,’ said U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips, emphasizing the need for the new bus line. The D Line is essentially an upgrade from the long-running ‘Route 5’. … Compared to Route 5, those involved say the D Line will be 20-25 percent faster, safer and easier, too.”

Another ‘CCO story says, “As temperatures drop to their lowest levels in quite some time, more concern is being raised about the homeless population in the metro area. Despite removal and sheltering efforts, several encampments have grown in size in recent weeks. Allen Christian is the owner of the House of Balls Art Studio, just a stone’s throw away from U.S. Bank Stadium. In between the studio and the stadium — this homeless encampment he says has multiplied in size since August.”

Another Strib story, this from Stephen Montemayor says, “Matthew Onofrio’s jump from nurse anesthetist at the Mayo Clinic to boasting hundreds of millions of dollars in sudden wealth through real estate deals became a fantastical success story that attracted a wide audience online. All just as he entered his 30s. ‘I was sitting in an operating room realizing I have so much more potential than this and really feeling like I did not have control over my life.’ Onofrio said in an August YouTube video titled ‘How An Anesthesiologist Became a Real Estate Mogul Worth $160 Million.’ That video has since been removed from YouTube following Onofrio’s indictment on three charges of bank fraud in federal court in Minnesota last month. Federal prosecutors allege the 31-year-old Eau Claire, Wisconsin, resident’s wild success story was so improbable because it was built upon a $35 million bank fraud scheme.”

Also at MPR News, this from Dan Gunderson, “Boys volleyball is on the way to becoming a sanctioned high school sport, after twice being rejected by the Minnesota State High School League. The league’s board last week approved boys volleyball as an emerging sport for next year, and recommended it be fully sanctioned in two years. Boys volleyball has been a club sport for several years, organized by the Minnesota Boys High School Volleyball Association.”